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Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as
a little child will by no means enter it. Mark 10:17
In Mark 10, the chapter is separated into segments. One of these divisions is between verses 12 and 13. Another division comes between verse 22 and 23. These divisions were not in the early manuscripts. It would seem quite evident that from verse 13 to verse 32 is one body of thought. The little children, the camel going through the eye of a needle (the needle's eye), the rich young ruler, and leaving all to follow Christ are all of one subject; and that would be entering the kingdom of God.
The children mentioned in verse 13 are an example of how the rich young ruler must enter the kingdom of God. The camel going through the small door in the Joppa gate (needle's eye) was another example; it was a visual reminder for the people.
My Zondervan Bible Dictionary has this to say about the needle's eye. "Camels had to be unloaded and kneel down to get through, even then with difficulty." I believe Jesus is teaching a very important truth (doctrine) of Scripture in these examples. He also made it clear that riches in themselves are not the problem. The problem comes when people put their trust in those riches (verse 24)
Just as the camel had to be unloaded and kneel down on its knees to get through the wicket gate, every person who would enter the kingdom of God must come empty-handed (with nothing) and in humility. David said in Psalm 51, "A broken and a contrite heart - these, O God, you will not despise."
Psalm 14, 53, and Romans 3 tell us there is no one who seeks after God, there is no one who does good. Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses (good works) are as filthy rags." The rich young ruler in Mark 10 never realized that everything he had came from God. It was all by God's grace that he was able to accomplish anything.
I Corinthians 4:7 tells us, "And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?" Ezekiel 33:13 says, "When I say to the righteous that he shall live, but he trusts in his own righteousness, and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity he has committed, he shall die."
The passage in Mark 10 is not teaching that we must be receptive and trusting. But rather, it is teaching that we must come to God as humble, destitute children with nothing in our hands, no righteousness, or good works that we can hold on to.
This rather mysterious passage in Mark 10, about the children, the camel, the needle's eye, and the rich young ruler, leads us back to one of the most fundamental teachings in the Bible. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone.
Are you still trying to hold on to your good family name and reputation? Maybe you went on a mission trip as a teenager, helped at a Christian camp, or did community work.
None of those things will help to get you into the kingdom of God. In fact, they are a stench to God; good works by themselves (if not accompanied by faith in Christ) will lead you to an eternity without God. The righteousness of Christ is our only hope if we want to enter the kingdom of God.
Contact the author at thoughtsonword@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.
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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published four books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016, Eye of a Needle in 2017, Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019 and A Bridge Between in 2023. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children's book.