Receiving the Kingdom Like a Child
Luke 18 reminds us that salvation is not earned by status, wealth, or religion, but received through simple trust in Christ.
‘People were also bringing babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’’ (Luke 18.15-17, NIV.)
In Luke 18, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God must be received with the simplicity and trust of a child. This is not about age, but about the posture of the heart. The Gospel is not complicated religious rules which must be followed; it is faith expressed as humble dependence on God.
Jesus then speaks with a ruler who asks, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” His question reveals something important: eternal life is not something we can purchase, earn, or secure through good works. It is an inheritance made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus says, “None is good, save one, that is, God,” He exposes the need we all share for forgiveness and salvation. The ruler had kept the commandments from his youth, yet Jesus identified the one thing still holding him back: his attachment to wealth.
The issue was not simply money, but surrender. Jesus invited him to give to the poor, treasure heaven, and follow Him. The ruler went away sorrowful because what he possessed had quietly become what possessed him, (verse 23).
Jesus’ words about the camel and the needle’s eye (verse 24) show how impossible salvation is in human strength. But He also gives the answer: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end.
Those who follow Christ may leave things behind, but what they receive is far greater: forgiveness now, God’s provision in this life, and everlasting life in the world to come, (verse 29-30).
Jesus then points His disciples toward Jerusalem, where He would suffer, die, and rise again. They did not yet understand, but His death would open the way into the kingdom.
The question remains for us today: are we willing to let go of what holds us back and receive eternal life with simple, childlike trust? (verses 31-24.)