The rich young man who came to Jesus was the perfect candidate for the Kingdom of God in the eyes of most first century Jews. He was law abiding and he was rich which meant, in their minds, that he was favoured by God. Naturally, everyone was therefore shocked when Jesus declared that this man was lacking what was necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. Who then can be saved? If not this model of Jewish piety, then who? Jesus had already given them the answer: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” The door to the Kingdom is open to all but it is very small, so you need to be very small to enter it. If you come walking on the stilts of self-dependence and cultural dignity, then you won’t fit through the door. You have to come humbly and dependently. You have to put aside inhibitions as a child does when it cries for its parents. You have to be teachable and changeable like a child. You have to cast aside self-dependence and autonomy and be willing to be like a little child in relation to God. Only little children can know God as father. The rich young man was too self-dependent to know God. His pride made him too tall to enter through the small doorway. However, if the rich young man would have recognised this, God could have resized him for that doorway, for nothing is impossible with God. Anyone can enter if they are willing to be resized by God.
Ask God to teach you and grow you.
Luke 18:15-34
