The Gospel of Luke: Held - Audio

“Now they were bringing even infants to him so that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and 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 shall not enter it.” And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭ If we come to Jesus holding nothing, we will receive everything. If we seek to hold something to qualify us, we will receive nothing. In this passage, Luke uses a word that is reserved for infants and toddlers, rather than just “children" to characterize these that were being brought to Jesus. These children cannot hold anything, they can only be held. Their fate is in the one who is holding them. Children were seen as liabilities in this time, so it makes sense that the disciples would have rebuked parents. But the disciples were wrong, and they didn’t see the value in the children that Jesus did. Jesus was even angered that the disciples were rebuking the parents. Children are shown as our models of kingdom citizenship. They are needy, feeble and weak, and require constant attention, feeding, changing, etc. to keep them alive. And if we don’t come to the kingdom of God in the same way, we will not gain entry. We need to be children with no accolades, no riches, no protection, no accomplishments. It is not what we are holding onto that will save us, but Who is holding us! The Rich Ruler in Jesus's parable that follows represents the anti-thesis of inheriting eternal life. The ruler is wealthy, respected, important, and a keeper of the law. He shows up asking the right question, and to the right person. But his posture before Christ is wrong. Even the ruler’s address is correct - he calls Jesus “Good.” This wouldn’t have been a normal introduction during this time. So even saying “good teacher” the Ruler is attributing to Jesus the attributes that would have been reserved for God. But the ruler doesn’t understand - none of us can get there and achieve righteousness, except through God Himself! So Jesus asks him to obey one more thing -- Jesus asks him to give up the thing that makes him who he is. Money and possessions are a powerful source of delusion and identity. But this is not just about Greed. Our own identities are idols for us. The rich young ruler's actions show that he’s breaking the first commandment - worshiping his identity via his wealth as his god. The people around Jesus then ask “if this guy cannot be saved, then who?!?!” And Jesus answers, “with God, all things are possible.” When we loosen the grip on our lives, and give up our own strength, we allow God to dictate our lives. What is holding you from being held? What do we hold onto to find worth before God?