One of the most captivating Scriptural stories for me as a child takes place in 2 Kings 6. Syria is at war with Israel when suddenly Israel finds itself in a place of great despair. They’re surrounded by a great Syrian army, with horses and chariots, so that the servant of Elisha asks the prophet, “What shall we do?” noting how they’re clearly outnumbered. And Elisha answers, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:17), which is of course obviously untrue based on what the servant sees. So Elisha prays, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see,” and the text reads, “So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17). And sure enough, as the Syrian army sought to attack Israel, the Lord struck them with blindness so that they turned away and went elsewhere.
What was so captivating to me as a child was that this man who was not vision impaired and could see clearly the world around him, was unable to perceive with his eyes another reality that existed until Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” Though seeing, he could not see the Lord’s wondrous works right around him.
This theme of having eyes but being unable to see is a theme throughout the Scripture. Even in Matthew’s gospel, this has already come up as in chapter 13 Jesus told his disciples that unbelievers, though they had eyes could not see, while they, Jesus’ disciples, were blessed, for their eyes saw.
But in the chapters following that declaration from Jesus, Matthew shows us that the disciples’ growth in understanding (or seeing reality clearly) was a bumpy road. They continue to misunderstand things and need to learn what Jesus is saying. Twice Jesus has clearly said he would die and then be raised from the dead only for his disciples to be sad because they had no idea what he meant by reference to the resurrection.
One of the places we most clearly see that the disciples (and others of Jesus’ potential followers) still misunderstand reality and need to continue to have their eyes open to what is true and real, just like Elisha’s servant, is in our text this morning, Matthew 19:13-30. These verses contain three different episodes in the life of Jesus: a time when children are coming to him to be blessed, a moment with a rich young man questions Jesus about how he might have eternal life, and a conversation between Jesus’ and his disciples about sacrifice and reward. But what holds each of these episodes together is a common theme that things aren’t always as we perceive them. Our eyes, apart from bowing to what God has revealed in his Word, simply do not see reality correctly. Our minds, apart from fearing the Lord and submitting to everything he says, do not rightly interpret or understand the world around us. So, what Jesus teaches throughout these three episodes is that the truth is often different (and at times in complete contrast) to what our minds think naturally and our eyes perceive. First, he shows us this in relation to children, where we see that:
In verse 13 we read that people were bringing their children to Jesus in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them. This idea wasn’t unique in regards to Jesus. Actually it would have been customary for Jewish rabbis and elders to bless children through the laying on of hands and prayer. However, Matthew notes that the disciples actually rebuked the people bringing the children to Jesus.
Now, why would they do that? Well, Matthew doesn’t tell us, but perhaps that’s because he knew the reason would be obvious to any first century Jewish reader. You see, children (as we noted some chapters earlier in Matthew’s gospel) were regarded as the lowest in society. If society were pictured in terms of rungs on a ladder where free men would be regarded on a higher rung than slaves, then children would be the lowest rung on the ladder. They were seen as basically contributing nothing to society until they came of an age where they were mentally able to understand more and physically able to do more. Until then, they were see as helpless, needy, dependent, and necessarily relying on, trusting, and following the guidance of those who knew better than them.
So, as the disciples’ thought, “Why would Jesus need to waste his time with children?” We might compare it to a big-time speaker who gets a request to travel across the country to lead a small group Bible study of 3-4 people. Such requests, I doubt, ever get answered positively, because the thought is that if this individual who is considered of such importance is going to give his time to do this, then his impact needs to be at a maximum. Fill a stadium with people, for example, and then it might be worth his time and effort.
In fact, that comparison probably understates things, for at least 3-4 people could do something. But Jesus is being asked to spend his time blessing these people—children—who could contribute absolutely nothing to society. Again, you can see why Matthew felt no need to explain why Jesus’ disciples were rebuking those who were bringing children to Jesus.
But interestingly, Jesus rebukes the disciples, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven,” and Matthew adds, “And he laid his hands on them and went away” (vv. 14-15).
Now, if we understand what Jesus is saying here, this can be a moment where our perception of reality is completely changed this morning. Jesus is not saying that children are somehow magically saved as opposed to adults. That is, he doesn’t say, “To these belong the kingdom of heaven,” but “To such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” That is, he’s saying that only individuals who become like children will be able to enter the kingdom.
In other words, as we look at our children and see their helplessness, need, inability, and dependence that requires them to trustfully lean on and follow others, they are a picture to us of what we must become like in order to enter the kingdom. We cannot be saved by coming to Christ and thinking we have no need. We cannot be saved by coming to Christ without a recognition that we are utterly helpless apart from him. We cannot be saved without a willingness to trust him because we know we’re absolutely dependent on him. This is why Jesus says that it is those who are poor in spirit (understanding they are spiritually bankrupt) who will inherit the kingdom. And children picture that.
Now, this is a big statement that has the potential to alter our understanding of reality, so I don’t want us to miss it. So, let me give you a parallel that we talk a lot about around here because there are a lot of weddings. I can’t think of a wedding I’ve performed where I’ve failed to note that marriage is a gift to the world because it is God’s picture to us of the relationship of Jesus Christ and his church, a relationship where the two become so united that they are one (as the church is called the “body of Christ” in Scripture) and yet remain distinct, as he is the Redeemer, and we are his people. I’ll typically say in a wedding ceremony, “How would we even begin to come up with a picture to illustrate that reality?” before adding, “The great news is that we don’t have to. God already has. That’s why he has given us marriage—a picture to the world of this amazing relationship of Jesus Christ and his church.” What a gift marriage is.
What Jesus is saying here is that children are given to us in the same fashion. I mean, have you ever wondered why the Lord made it so that we spend a number of years in our lives as children, unable to do much to contribute to the development of society? Perhaps you haven’t because you’re mind isn’t as messed up as mine! But think about it for a second. If the Lord had made the human race so that to have offspring was to have one who instantly could help you work the farm (in an agrarian society), or help mow the lawn, or earn more money, move the washing machine, or whatever task there was, could you imagine how helpful that would be? So, why did the Lord make it so that we spend a great number of years as children, some of those years as absolutely helpless, needy, dependent children? The answer, according to this text, is because the Lord wanted us to have a continual picture before us of what we must become if we are to enter the kingdom.
We, who think we’re so wise, capable, independent, and without need, must come to a point before the Lord where we acknowledge, I am absolutely helpless to save myself. I am in utter need of you. And I turn from my own wisdom (for it is getting me nowhere) to trust you absolutely in everything you say. I trust, follow, and submit to you. That is what we must become if we are to receive eternal life, and the Lord gives us children in the world so that we might have a continual picture of that reality. Far from an inconvenience that the disciples’ needed to keep away from Jesus, children are a gracious gift from God to picture for us our great need if we’re to enter the kingdom.
But that’s not all Jesus reveals here. He also shows us that:
After the episode with the children, Jesus is approached by a man who wants to know what good deed he needs to do to have eternal life. Jesus first notes that the man misunderstands the standard of goodness. Why does he ask about doing good when only God is good? The point, of course, is that right out of the gate he is perhaps underestimating what it means to be good or do good. But Jesus continues, telling the man that he should keep the commandments.
Now, before we get too far into this story, we should understand that this isn’t Jesus’ way of saying that the path to salvation is by obeying all of God’s commands. After all, the Scripture makes clear elsewhere (especially in Galatians) that on the basis of obeying the law no man will be justified. And the reason is because God demands perfect obedience, which none of us can achieve (i.e. Jesus’ starting point about underestimating what it means to be good).
The reason Jesus goes this route is to expose something in the man. But the man engages at this point, asking Jesus which commandments he is referring to, at which point, Jesus quotes several commandments from the Decalogue and then sums up a good portion of the law with the statement that he should love his neighbor as himself.
Interestingly, the man says that he’s kept all of these. And Jesus’ doesn’t quibble with him. He no doubt could, but Jesus is purposely taking the discussion in a certain direction in order to expose something in the man’s heart. So, as the man then presses Jesus once more, asking, “What do I still lack?” Jesus answers, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (v. 21).
That’s a very straightforward command that the man would actually be able to achieve. But (again) Jesus wasn’t giving this answer so as to give the man something to do and thereby be saved as much as he was exposing the man’s heart. And sure enough, Matthew notes, “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (v. 22).
Now, why does Jesus answer this man’s questions in this way? After all, this isn’t a common line that we find with Jesus. This seems to be an exceptional conversation with Jesus when we compare it with his conversations elsewhere. In fact, Jesus does not tell anyone else throughout this gospel that if they want eternal life they have to sell everything they have and give it away before following Jesus. So, why does he do it here?
It’s because Jesus knows each individual with whom he deals. He is like a masterful surgeon who knows just the right instrument to take up to expose the heart. And what he’s showing here to a man who could point to all kinds of moral acts of goodness that he has done is that he lacks the one thing Jesus absolutely demands of every follower, and that is undivided loyalty. Jesus will not accept us putting our loyalty to anything above him. We can’t hold more tightly to money, or family, or dreams, or even our lives than we do to him. He demands absolute surrender.
But here’s the paradox. If we refuse to surrender everything to him, we’ll always be like the rich young man here, knowing in our souls that there’s still something we lack. We can gain the whole world and know that we still need something that isn’t ours. But if we lay down our lives, say we’re willing to die if necessary, and commit ourselves absolutely to Christ only then will we lack nothing, for only then will we find eternal life.
And that sets us up for the third thing Jesus reveals in this text, namely, that:
In many ways, this third point is simply drawing from the first two. After the rich young man walks away sorrowful, Jesus uses the moment to instruct his disciples, saying, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (vv. 23-24).
That is a bold statement by Jesus, and what makes it even harder to take for the disciples is that they assumed that the more material wealth one had, the more that person should be considered to be blessed by God. They assumed that if someone was rich, then the Lord must really be pleased with them, obviously rewarding them and blessing them in these material ways. So, in their minds, if the one who is obviously most blessed by God will find such difficulty in being saved so that it’d be easier for a camel to fit through the small opening on the end of a needle, then it would seem that it’s simply impossible for anyone to be saved.
Therefore, they were greatly astonished at Jesus’ bold declaration and said, “Who then can be saved?” (v. 25). And if we’re looking for Jesus to say, “C’mon, guys, I didn’t really mean to imply that it is impossible for man to be saved on his own,” then we’ll find Jesus’ answer shocking, for he says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (v. 26).
Now, before we understand Jesus’ answer about salvation being impossible with man, it’ll help us to understand why Jesus says it’s so difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom. The reason isn’t because material wealth is a wicked thing. The reason is because material wealth has a way of convincing us that we are self-sufficient or without need. Material wealth can convince us that we aren’t in a desperate place of helplessness to provide for ourselves.
And what is especially true for us when we have material wealth is also generally true of everyone. All of us are easily deceived into thinking that we aren’t desperately helpless to provide for ourselves. In fact, the reason so many of us struggle to sit before God and rest in the fact that we fully approves of us and accepts us not because of any single thing we’ve done but totally because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for us is because there’s something in our sinful nature that continually tell us that there must be something we do that contributes to our righteous standing before God. And unless we ever realize that we’ve got nothing to bring to the table except empty hands and faith to accept that Christ has done everything for us, we will only know that sense of lack, of not measuring up, and of standing condemned. And until we turn from our thinking that we can provide anything to be righteous before God, we will only be condemned. Thus, as we’ve seen, we must become like children in realizing our helplessness and hopelessness in and of ourselves. On our own this is impossible. But, praise God, he graciously works the impossible again and again as he opens our eyes to our utter helplessness and Christ’s sufficiency.
It’s funny that there is a sense, it seems, in which Peter is offended by Jesus’ declaration. If Jesus is saying that it’s hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom because he can’t shed himself of a sense of self-sufficiency or get rid of the very thing he’s relying on (in the case of the rich young ruler), Peter thinks to himself, “Well, maybe Jesus is overlooking just how impressive we’ve been as his disciples. After all, we have walked away from everything to follow him.” So, he replies to Jesus, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” (v. 27).
What Peter is reflecting here is that he’s still thinking of things in terms of merit. That is, I’ve given up this, and, therefore, I should get something in return. If I give up a dollar for your sake then, you should give me something that is at least of similar value in return, right? That’s how Peter is thinking.
But if we can use that illustration, then Jesus’ answer is, “Yes, you’ve given up your dollar. Well done. Now, you will get trillions in return!” Jesus answers, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (v. 28). That is, Jesus first notes that Peter and the others have done well in following Christ. In fact, on the day of judgment, they will sit in a seat of judgment, acknowledging the just condemnation of unbelieving Israel, who should have believed.
But it doesn’t stop there. Jesus then adds that everyone who walks away from blessings in this life and sacrificially follows Jesus will be blessed enormously. He adds, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (v. 29).
This is the trillions. Whatever we sacrifice in this life in following Christ, we receive a hundredfold in his church, and eternal life. That is, if we think that following Christ means that you get back what you give up, you’ve really underestimated his grace. And until we realize that we’re objects of his rich, unmerited grace, we will always underestimate the blessing it is to surrender everything to and follow Christ.
Thus, Jesus notes, things aren’t always as we see them. Much of what we see as first in this life will be last, and much of what we see as last will be first. So, let us pray this morning that the Lord will give us eyes to see clearly, and let us glory in our helpless and inability and marvel at the grace that he gives us as we look to him in repentance and faith. Amen.