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Entering the Kingdom: The Posture That Inherits Life (Matthew 19:13–30)
Mike McIntosh
June 21, 2025
Lesson Title: Entering the Kingdom: The Posture That Inherits Life
Passage: Matthew 19:13–30
📺 Want to watch the full teaching? Click here to view the June 21st, 2025 Lesson.
Introduction to Today’s Lesson
Hey Everyone,
Thank you for taking a moment to open the Word with us this week.
Today we move deeper into Matthew 19 — a chapter where Jesus’ teaching repeatedly challenges the assumptions of power, privilege, and status in His day.
In this passage, Jesus welcomes the children that others see as unimportant — and then He speaks with a man that everyone would have seen as blessed and favored.
But by the end of this conversation, the categories are flipped:
The children — small, dependent, with nothing to prove — are embraced as models of Kingdom posture.
The rich young man — outwardly moral and materially blessed — walks away unable to release what enslaves him.
And the question hanging over this whole passage is this:
👉 How do we enter the Kingdom?
👉 What posture allows us to receive it?
The answer Jesus gives is both beautiful and deeply disruptive.
Recap of Last Week’s Lesson (Matthew 19:1–12)
Last week, we explored Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees about marriage and divorce.
We saw that:
Jesus is not creating rigid rules — He is confronting hardness of heart.
His teaching is rooted in protecting the vulnerable — especially women in a culture where they were easily discarded.
We are called to be people who take our commitments seriously and honor life and dignity, even when culture makes it easy to treat others as disposable.
If you missed it or want to revisit it, you can read last week’s full KNGDOM Newsletter here:
Scripture Reading – Matthew 19: 13–30 (ESV)
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be pperfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter vthe kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are ffirst will be last, and the last first.
🧭 Context & Background
A Scene of Contrast: Children & the Rich Young Man
This passage unfolds in two back-to-back scenes that couldn’t be more different — and Jesus uses both to redefine what qualifies someone for the Kingdom.
First, children are brought to Him.
Then, a rich young man approaches.
To modern readers, these scenes may feel like simple character shifts. But in the first-century Jewish world, they would have created a jarring contrast — almost a sense of irony.
Children in the Ancient World
In that culture, children were not viewed with the sentimentality we often assign them today.
They were considered weak, unimportant, and without social standing.
They had no authority, no voice, no rights, and certainly no claim to status in the religious world.
They were seen as unfinished people — not yet mature enough to matter.
So when Jesus says, “To such belongs the Kingdom,”
He’s not just making room for them.
He’s reversing the value system — elevating the least and making them the model for everyone else.
The Rich Young Man
Then comes someone who had everything the world admired:
He’s wealthy — which in Jewish culture was often seen as a sign of God’s favor.
He’s young — symbolizing vitality, influence, and potential.
He’s morally devout — claiming to have kept the commandments from youth.
He’s socially respected — someone others would’ve assumed was already close to God.
If the children represented the bottom, the rich young man represented the top.
If anyone seemed qualified for eternal life, it was him.
And yet — Jesus lets the children come close,
but watches the rich man walk away.
Why?
Because what impresses people often means nothing in the sight of God.
And what disqualifies someone in the world’s eyes may be the very thing that brings them near to Jesus.
✨ Key Lessons & Takeaways
1️⃣ The Kingdom Belongs to the Dependent — Not the Impressive
“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (v. 14)
This isn’t just a sweet moment with kids — it’s a sharp reversal of everything the culture valued.
Jesus doesn’t say the Kingdom tolerates children.
He says it belongs to people who come like them.
Why?
Because children don’t come trying to earn their place.
They’re not performing. They’re not curating a version of themselves that looks more worthy.
They just come — open, honest, dependent.
Children show up with:
Open hands — no trophies, no defenses.
No pretense — they’re not hiding behind who they think they should be.
No status to protect — they’re not concerned with being impressive.
Complete trust — they assume someone stronger will take care of them.
And that’s exactly the posture Jesus says opens the door to the Kingdom.
It’s the opposite of self-reliance.
It’s the opposite of spiritual achievement.
It’s the humility that says, “I have nothing to bring… but I trust You.”
Takeaway:
The Kingdom isn’t something you qualify for.
It’s something you receive — but only if your hands are empty enough to hold it.
If we insist on being strong, capable, and worthy, we’ll miss it.
But if we come like children — honest, needy, and ready to trust — we’ll find that the door was open to us all along.
2️⃣ Goodness Is Not Achieved — It Is Gifted
When the rich young man approaches Jesus, his question reveals more than just curiosity:
“What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (v. 16)
It sounds sincere. But under the surface, it exposes a mindset that many of us still carry — the belief that eternal life is something we can earn if we just do the right things.
But notice how Jesus responds:
“Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good…” (v. 17)
In other words — you’re asking the wrong question.
Jesus doesn’t launch into a list of next steps or a checklist of moral achievements.
He redirects the man entirely — away from performance, and toward the nature of God Himself.
This is subtle, but it’s foundational:
Jesus is showing that the Kingdom doesn’t operate on a merit system.
It’s not about doing enough good to outweigh the bad.
It’s not about building a spiritual résumé.
Because at the end of the day — there’s only One who is truly good.
And we’re not Him.
That’s not meant to discourage us — it’s meant to free us.
Because the Kingdom is not about us trying harder to climb to God.
It’s about God coming down in grace — and inviting us to receive what we could never achieve on our own.
Takeaway:
Eternal life isn’t a trophy for the best-behaved.
It’s a gift for the humbled.
3️⃣ What You Cannot Release Will Rule You
Jesus’ final response to the rich young man is both personal and piercing:
“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor… and come, follow me.” (v. 21)
It’s not a blanket command for everyone.
Jesus isn’t saying all wealth is evil or that every disciple must live in poverty.
What He’s doing here is surgical.
He’s putting His finger directly on the man’s god — the thing he loved most, trusted most, and couldn’t imagine living without.
And the result?
The man walks away — not angry, not defiant — but sorrowful.
Because even though he wanted eternal life, he wasn’t willing to let go of what he already had.
His possessions weren’t just things he owned.
They were things that owned him.
This is where the story turns from being about his wealth… to being about our hearts.
Because every one of us has something we cling to.
Something we reach for when we’re afraid.
Something we secretly hope will make us feel safe, secure, or worthy.
It might be money.
But it might also be control.
Or reputation.
Or a relationship.
Or a plan for our lives we’re terrified to surrender.
Whatever it is — Jesus will ask for it.
Not because He wants to take from us, but because He wants to set us free.
Takeaway:
The question is not, “Do I have to give everything up?”
The question is, “What am I unwilling to release?”
Because whatever we cannot release will eventually rule us.
And the Kingdom — the kind of life Jesus offers — can’t be received with hands already full.
🔥 Challenge for the Week
Here are three questions to carry into the week:
1️⃣ Where am I tempted to approach God as an achiever rather than as a child?
Am I subtly trying to earn my place — or am I receiving it with open hands?
2️⃣ What “good deeds” am I tempted to trust in — rather than trusting in God’s goodness?
Am I finding security in my moral record instead of in His grace?
3️⃣ What possession, relationship, status, or comfort would I struggle to release if Jesus asked me to?
Am I truly free — or am I clinging to something that is clinging to me?
Final Word
At the center of this passage is a simple but sobering truth:
You can have everything — and still lack the one thing that matters most.
You can be moral, wealthy, accomplished, and respected…
But unless you come like a child — empty-handed, surrendered, dependent on grace — the Kingdom will remain out of reach.
Because the Kingdom isn’t about doing more or being better.
It’s about trusting deeper.
And trusting means letting go.
The rich young man came looking for eternal life — but walked away when Jesus touched the one area he wouldn’t release.
Not because Jesus was cruel.
But because the invitation to “Come, follow Me” will always bring us face to face with what we’re still holding tighter than Him.
And that’s not punishment.
That’s mercy.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to let go because He wants to take from us.
He asks us to let go so we can finally be free to receive —
To receive life that’s better, fuller, lighter, freer.
So this week, let’s stop trying to prove we’re enough.
Let’s stop performing.
Let’s stop clinging to what was never meant to carry us.
Let’s come like children:
Open hands — willing to let go.
Empty pockets — unafraid of not having enough.
Eyes on the Father — trusting He is more than enough.
Because in the Kingdom, dependence is not weakness.
It’s the very door in.
Grace, freedom, and childlike joy to you this week,
— Michael