Today's Scripture
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Hosea 9 -11; Matthew 19
Entering the Kingdom – Matthew 19:13-30 (MSG)
13-15 One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left.
16 Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”
18-19 The man asked, “What in particular?”
Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”
20 The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”
21 “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”
22 That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.
23-24 As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”
25 The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”
26 Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”
27 Then Peter chimed in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?”
28-30 Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
What does this passage mean to me/us?
Today we read this familiar passage, through Eugene Peterson’s Message translation.
Interestingly, Peterson combines the two-story of children coming to Jesus and the story of the rich young man, under the theme of ‘Entering the Kingdom.’
Both of them conclude with Jesus allowing them to enter into the kingdom. In the first story, Jesus intervenes and allows the children to come to him. In the second story, Jesus explains how hard it is for a rich person to enter into heaven, but how it becomes possible throguh God’s grace. The Message Bible says, ““No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”
Which brings us to this question, if Jesus made it possible, how much are we longing to enter that kingdom?
Both children and the young man had the yearning to enter into the kingdom of God. In both cases, it would have been tough and Jesus made a way. For us, the promise of entering God’s Kingdom is given and laid out for us; only through faith. By any chance, did we lose that yearning to be with God?
Prayer
Lord, help us long for your eternal kingdom, that is, and was, and is to come. In the name of Jesus, we pray, AMEN.
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