It’s a crucial question, and yet it’s also a crazy question – “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18). It’s crucial for we will all stand before Almighty God, and yet it’s crazy for you cannot do anything to inherit, an inheritance cannot be earned, it is given.
How would you answer? If you were to die today and God asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say? Often people say something like, “I’m a good person. I go to church. I’ve never hurt anyone.”
Jesus answers with something that should have got the man thinking – “no one is good except God alone.” If no one is good, then no one can get to God in their own strength. That should have got the man thinking, but as Jesus then lists off the commandments the man should realised he falls short. Instead the man says, “I’ve kept them!”
Jesus needs to show the man his heart, so He tells him to sell everything and give to the poor, and then he will have treasure in heaven. Isn’t this what the man wanted?
Tragically his heart is exposed, he’s broken the first commandment-he loves money more than God. He cannot give it up. But the money can’t satisfy as is shown by the fact he leaves sad. He loves the temporary satisfaction and power of money more than God.
If the man had arrived a little earlier, he’d have discovered the answer to who gets eternal life – it’s those who receive it as gift. Just before the man turns up Jesus has said those wonderful words “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God…whoever does not receive the kingdom like a child shall not enter it.”
What is it about children that means the kingdom belongs to them? Some say it’s their innocence, but any parent will tell you that’s not true! You don’t need to teach a child to say no, or to snatch, it comes so naturally! So what is it then? It’s that they are totally dependent, they cannot do anything for themselves. And that is the way into God’s kingdom, the way to eternal life – to recognise we cannot earn it, but can only receive it, depending totally on Jesus and his death in our place.
The good news is that the kingdom is for those of any age who will receive it as a gift. It’s available for little children and grown ups. Jesus warns us not to hinder children from coming to him. How might we do that? Since children are dependent on adults, they would be hindered from coming to Jesus if their parents don’t bring them to church. Since they cannot read, they will be hindered if their parents don’t read them the Bible. Parents, we have a responsibility to help our children come to Jesus by teaching them, praying for them, praying with them, reading the Bible to them, setting them a Christian example and bringing them to a church where God’s Word is faithfully taught and the sacraments rightly administered.
So what must we do to inherit eternal life? We must receive Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, knowing He is our only hope in life and death. And if we are parents we should do all we can to help our children come to Jesus.
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