²⁴ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ 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.” ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” – Mark 10:24-31 ESV

By this time, the disciples were wishing they had never argued over who was the greatest. Ever since Jesus overheard their childish squabble, He had been giving them a non-stop lecture about what it means to be great in the Kingdom of God. The latest iteration of that lesson came in the form of a rich young man seeking his rightful inheritance. He wanted to know what was keeping him from enjoying the riches and rewards of eternal life right here, right now. He saw himself as a good and righteous man who had kept God’s commands, and he believed his wealth proved God’s blessing on his life. But he wanted more. He sought the ultimate reward: eternal life.

And Jesus confirmed that the man “lacked one thing” (Mark 10:21 ESV). So, He told him to “go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21 ESV). In essence, Jesus told the man he would have to let go of everything he treasured in this life if he wanted to receive the reward of eternal life. This statement from Jesus should have sounded familiar to His disciples. Three years earlier, they had heard Him say something similar in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21 ESV

The young man, unwilling to wait for the treasures of heaven, walked away from Jesus. He ignored Jesus’ call to follow Him and instead returned to his life of wealth and earthly greatness. In doing so, he became an illustration of what Jesus talked about in His sermon.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” – Matthew 6:24 ESV

After the man left, Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23 ESV). This statement shocked them; it went against all their preconceived notions regarding righteousness and rewards. They were raised to believe that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing. After all, even Abraham, the great patriarch of the Hebrew people, had been blessed by God with abundant livestock and great wealth. God had even blessed Joseph, the son of Jacob, who had been sold into slavery by his own brothers. He became the second-most-powerful man in Egypt, and enjoyed great power and prominence. He used these “blessings” to protect his family when a famine came to Canaan.

But Jesus was not saying riches are never a sign of God’s blessing; He was trying to help the disciples understand that the material and physical blessings God bestows can become replacements for God. The gifts begin to take precedence over the Giver. How easy it is to begin worshiping the things of this earth rather than the God of heaven, who gives all good gifts.

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father… – James 1:17 NLT

We should receive any earthly blessings we get in this life with open arms, but hold them loosely in our hands. The story of Lot vividly reminds us of this. God had greatly blessed Lot with a large family, abundant livestock, riches, and good health. Yet, when tragedy struck and he lost it all, his response was: “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21 NLT).

But Jesus knew His disciples found it hard to accept what He was saying. So He repeated His words in a slightly different, even more controversial way.

“Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!” – Mark 10:24 ESV

It must not have escaped the disciples that Jesus addressed them as teknon, the Greek word for a male child. Twice, He had used children to drive home His message concerning greatness in the Kingdom of God.

“Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child (paidion) in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child (paidion) like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” –Mark 9:35-37 NLT

“Let the children (paidion) come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child (paidion) shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. – Mark 10:14-16 NLY

Mark used a different Greek word to record how Jesus addressed His disciples. Jesus wasn’t just calling these grown men children; He was declaring them to be His “sons.” Yet, His point was that they were displaying an ignorance and inability to understand what He was trying to teach them. Like a father, Jesus cared for them deeply and wanted them to understand these deep truths concerning the Kingdom of God. He knew they struggled to accept what He was saying because they needed to unlearn so much. They were weighed down by so many misconceptions concerning the Kingdom of God and how to enter it.

Wealth could not buy you entry into the Kingdom. A good track record of law-keeping could not earn a spot in God’s Kingdom. Gaining access into God’s presence was difficult, and the rich young ruler had failed the test. This left the disciples a bit concerned about their own prospects for success, and what Jesus said next didn’t restore their confidence.

“…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!” – Mark 10:25 NLT

This little parable did nothing to ease their concerns. In fact, Mark describes them as being “exceedingly astonished” at this news, and it led them to ask, “Then who can be saved?” (Mark 10:26 ESV).

You can sense their anxiety. Jesus went from describing entrance into God’s Kingdom as difficult to being impossible. It didn’t take a genius to understand that a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle. Yet, Jesus was saying the odds were better for that to happen than for a rich man to enter eternity. So, what hope did they have? The disciples had no visible manifestations of God’s blessings. They weren’t rich, influential, or powerful. In their minds, they had nothing going for them. But they failed to recognize that they were teknon, the children or sons of Jesus. They belonged to Him and, as a result, shared an intimate, personal relationship with the Son of God.

But their minds were stuck on Jesus’ camel metaphor.  They understood it was impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a sewing needle, so was Jesus saying their entrance into the Kingdom was also impossible? Was their salvation at risk?

But Jesus attempted to calm their anxiety by stating, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27 ESV). Jesus wanted His “sons” to know that salvation was God’s work, not based on human effort. Entrance into the Kingdom was impossible. Nothing man could do could earn God’s favor or guarantee him a place in the eternal Kingdom. The apostle Paul made this point repeatedly.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:20 NLT

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. – Galatians 2:16 NLT

If the rich couldn’t buy their way into the Kingdom and law-keeping was not the key that opened the door, what were the disciples to do? They were at a loss for what it would take to secure a place in God’s eternal realm. This led Peter to blurt out, “See, we have left everything and followed you” (Mark 10:28 ESV). He had taken to heart what Jesus had said to the rich young man:

“…go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…” – Mark 10:21 ESV

Peter assumed the key to eternal life must be a life of sacrifice. If the young man had done what Jesus had said, he would have received exactly what he desired. But Peter missed the point. He wrongly concluded that Jesus meant salvation was reserved for those willing to sell out and follow Him. Like the rich young ruler, Peter wanted Jesus to confirm his suspicions. He hoped Jesus would declare that his life of sacrifice had earned him a place in the Kingdom.

Like a loving father, Jesus let Peter know that he was partially right. Salvation did require self-sacrifice, a point Jesus had already made clear.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” – Matthew 16:24-26 NLT

Following Jesus was costly. Becoming one of His disciples required letting go of the earthly and temporal in order to gain the eternal. But Jesus assured Peter that whatever he had given up in this life would be well worth it. He would be repaid in full and in ways he could never have imagined.

“I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.” – Mark 10:29-30 NLT

Yes, Peter and his companions had walked away from their careers and families. But Jesus assured them that their sacrifice would come with great blessings. They would become part of a larger extended family and enjoy careers far more fulfilling and impactful than the ones they had given up. And any sacrifices they made in this life would be rewarded in the next one. By making Jesus first and themselves last, they would enjoy eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Then Jesus added one last lesson on greatness.

“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” – Mark 10:31 ESV

The scribes and Pharisees, the rich and influential, the powerful and the outwardly righteous were not guaranteed a spot in God’s Kingdom. Citizenship in the Kingdom was reserved for those who recognized their own inadequacy and their need for a Savior. Those who think they are healthy don’t think they need a doctor, but the sick do. And while it was impossible for any man to enter the Kingdom on his own merit or effort, all things are possible with God.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.