People were bringing their children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and to bless them. Oh, to be in the presence of the Lord, and for him to place his hand on me or you and bless us, I would trade positions with those children in a moment. However, His disciples were rebuking these parents for bringing the children to Jesus. When Jesus saw what his disciples were doing, He became indignant. The Greek word for indignant means to arouse to anger. What arouses anger in you? I found a response I think we can agree on, “Anger is a universal human experience often triggered by perceived threats, unmet expectations, or frustrating situations.” This was definitely a frustrating situation for Jesus.

He responded to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Why would Jesus say, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Children have an innocence that adults have lost overtime. Little children haven’t lived long enough to experience the harshness of everyday life yet. Since adults have lived and experienced the trials of life, we allow those experiences to cause us to be less trusting and skeptical of what Jesus requires of us, and what He will do for us. As adults, we need help to reclaim the innocence we had as children. Because Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

“Rather than disbarring children, Jesus commends them as the true heirs of the kingdom he inaugurates. This statement again reveals Jesus’ unique authority, for he unashamedly presumes to correlate the kingdom of God with himself. In coming to Jesus, the children are coming to the one in whom God’s present reign is made manifest.”¹

I’m not talking about becoming a little child again, but we must reclaim the innocence and trust of a little child if we want to enter the kingdom of God.

I don’t draw a crowd when I go out into the community and visit. Somebody might recognize me and take a few moments to talk with me. Jesus had a notoriety that prevented him from such casual encounters, He usually drew a crowd, but on this occasion a man ran up to Jesus with a question, “”Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus questioned the young man, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good– except God alone.” We know that Jesus is God, but did this man realize that fact as well? Jesus went on speaking to the man, you know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'” The man responded, “”all these I have kept since I was a boy.” The scripture says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” When you love somebody, you tell them the truth when they ask you a question. So, in answering the man’s question, Jesus told him you lack one thing, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Jesus answered the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? It wasn’t the answer the man was looking for. The scripture says, “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

When we put ourselves in that man’s place, though we might not be rich financially, we still have possessions that could cause us to respond like the man, to drop our head and walk away.

“The call to follow Jesus does not constitute an additional obligation in life, but rather judges, replaces, and subordinates all obligations and allegiances to the one that says, “Follow me.” Anything, even obligations to parents, is a hazard if it impedes the following of that call.”²

A little child doesn’t have the assets an adult has, making it easier for a child to inherit the kingdom of God. God’s Holy Spirit gives us the ability to release those things that hinder us from being obedient children we need to be.

Jesus continues leading the way to Jerusalem. On the way He informs his disciples for the third time, “”We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

This third prediction of his passion was the most detailed of the three. “We must try to understand the bewilderment and fear of his followers, for this was a difficult experience for them and not at all what they had planned or expected. Each new announcement of His death only added to their perplexity. In the first two announcements, Jesus had told them what would occur, but now He told them where His passion will take place—-in the Holy City of Jerusalem! In this third announcement, He has also included the part that the Gentiles would play in His trial and death, and for the fourth time, He promised that He would rise again (see note on Mark 9:9). He told His disciples the truth, but they were in no condition to understand it.”³

If my best friend told me he had not been feeling well and went to the doctor to find out what was going on, only to find out he had an incurable disease, and only had 3 months to live, I don’t think I would ask him for one of his prized possessions when he died. He might say, “I know you have admired that clock that hangs over the fireplace in my den, I want you to have it. I would never ask him for it; I would be more concerned about what I could do for him to make him as comfortable as possible and spend as much time with him as I could.

After Jesus told His disciples about his upcoming death, Mark tells us what James and John did:

Mark 10:35-40

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,

40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

Were James and John out of line asking Jesus to sit on thrones with Him? According to Matthew 19:28 Jesus said this, “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

James and John were wrong because the motive behind their request of Jesus was for their own glory, not the glory of God. When asked if they could drink the cup Jesus must drink and be baptized with the baptism Jesus must be baptized with, they said, “We can.”

“They will indeed drink a cup and undergo a baptism, concedes Jesus, but Jesus invests the metaphors with a slightly different sense when he uses them of the disciples. With reference to himself, “cup” and “baptism” signify the unique way charted for him by God and the means by which his atoning “ransom” will be achieved. With reference to the disciples the same imagery refers to the persecutions that they will reap as a consequence of following him.”⁴

Jesus is the only one capable of drinking that cup and being baptized with that baptism that we might be saved today. However, the cup we drink and the baptism we are baptized with is more in line with what the disciples experienced.

James and John’s request of Jesus caused the other disciples to become indignant with them. So, this becomes a teaching moment from Jesus to his disciples.

Mark 10:42-45

42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Based on this lesson Jesus taught his disciples, we must make sure that we make service to others more important than being served and being in power over others. “The preeminence of service in the kingdom of God grows out of Jesus’ teaching on love for one’s neighbor, for service is love made tangible.”⁵ (Perceptible by touch)

As Jesus and the disciples passed through Jericho on there way to Jerusalem. Jesus often draws a crowd, as was the case while passing through Jericho. A blind man named Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” A lot of different types of people make up a crowd. Within this crowd there were those that rebuked Bartimaeus and told him to be quiet. Their rebuke only made him more determined, and he cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Mark 10:49-52

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So, they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Jesus didn’t spit and make mud and put it on his eyes, or spit in his eyes, He just spoke, “Go,” “your faith has healed you.”

“Jesus met many spiritually blind people—- religious leaders, family members, people in the crowds. Though their eyes were fine, they could not see the truth about Jesus. But blind Bartimeus had heard the report that Jesus was coming and boldly cried out for help.”⁶

We need to emulate the boldness of Bartimeus and call out to the one that can save us from our sins.

Study Questions

1. What has caused you to become indignant over the actions of someone else?
2. What was your Christian response to that original action?
3. How difficult has it been for you to revert to childhood innocence to enter the kingdom of God?
4. Wealth was the downfall of the rich young ruler, what was your hindrance to following Jesus, in your past?
5. What temptations have arisen in your life that cause you to have to reassess what you believe about serving God?
6. Families are often divided when a loved one that has material assets is dying or dies because somebody gets what you wanted. Should you reveal to that person what they have that you want?
7. How important is motive when we ask for things?
8. What lesson did Jesus teach his disciples about love and service to others?
9. Have you ever had a need where you cried out to Jesus to have mercy on you?
10. Is it possible to have 20/20 vision and still be blind?

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