GETTING IN (4): OPENING THE DOOR TO HEAVEN

(Luke 18:15-17)
September 25, 2016
Read Lu 18:15-17 A British comedian, George Mikes, wrote a humorous
book on psychoanalysis. In preparation, he underwent psychoanalysis himself.
First question: Mr. Mikes, did you have a happy childhood? Reply: Im
still having a happy childhood. Thats probably not exactly what Jesus had
in mind when He said whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a
child shall not enter it, but I dont think its that far off the mark either.
Luke purposely inserted this incident about children between the stories of
two imminently successful men -- the Pharisee of the arrogant prayer and the
rich young ruler religious high achievers but neither of whom was going
to heaven. Luke is illustrating the point that Jesus makes time after time
entrance to Gods kingdom is not determined by earthly standards but by God.
And he does that one more time in an unforgettable way here.
Luke sets the stage with a beautiful intro in v. 15: 15 Now they were bringing
even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it,
they rebuked them. Lukes wording indicates bringing infants to Jesus was a
regular practice. Matt 19:13 notes they wanted him to lay His hands on them
and pray. Barclay says it was custom for mothers to bring children on their
1st birthday to some distinguished rabbi to bless them. Jesus is now in high
demand for that. Its an example we follow in dedicating babies.
Yet the disciples were rebuking parents. Why? Well, popular opinion held that
kids were too insignificant to bother with. Perhaps they also felt Jesus was too
busy or tired to be bothered. They were wrong! Jesus was indignant (Mk
10:14). Strong word angry, aroused. He checked His disciples, had the
children brought and Mark 10:16 And he took them in his arms and blessed
them, laying his hands on them. Then Jesus seized upon this opportunity to
teach 2 critical lessons about who will participate in Gods kingdom.
I.

Kingdom People Are Children

First century Palestine was not the child-friendly society we live in. Kids had
a high mortality rate, and were viewed as having of little value until they
survived long enough to begin to contribute to the family business. Children
were to be seen and not heard. Yet Jesus says, Let the children come to me,
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and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God (16). This
is in perfect keeping with Jesus normal habit of elevating the status of the
underprivileged and underappreciated women, children, the poor and others
marginalized by society. He always valued people as people.
But in this case, He sees much more. For to such belongs the kingdom of
God. In other words, These are kingdom people that you disciples are
keeping from me. That phrase is loaded. It tells us that young children are
covered by Gods grace prior to being old enough to make decision for Christ.
And it tells us that decision can come younger than we might imagine.
Lets take the first question first. What happens to little children when they
die? The answer is they go to heaven. Does that mean they are not sinners?
No it does not. Psa 51:5, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psa 58: 3) The wicked are estranged
from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. Gen 8:21, for the
intention of mans heart is evil from his youth. Sin reigns from the moment
of birth. You dont have to teach kids evil ways; you have to teach them right.
But though they are sinners, they are in Gods grace until they are sufficiently
mature to understand the work of the law in their conscience and the truth of
the gospel in their hearts. Til then, theyre innocent in Gods sight. In Deut
1:39, as a result of Israels sin in the wilderness God judged the older
generation by refusing them entry into the Promised Land, but then promised,
And as for your little ones . . . and your children, who today have no
knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. Covered by Gods grace,
though they had, no doubt, done their share of complaining. In Jer 19:4-5 God
calls the Israeli infants sacrificed to Baal innocents. And in a telling
example, Davids son by Bathsheba, conceived in adultery, gets very sick
David fasts and mourns. But when the baby dies, Davids servants are amazed
that he wants food. He responds in II Sam 12:22, While the child was still
alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who knows whether the LORD will be
gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead. Why should I
fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to
me. David knew hed never see his boy again in this life, but he fully
expected to see him again later. He believed his baby was with the Lord. And
so are all children who die without reaching a point of personal accountability.
The follow-on question is, At what age can children become saved? The
answer is, at quite a young age an age which varies from child to child. But
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when they can grasp the concept of sin, and the truth that Christ died in their
place they can choose to accept or reject Him. No doubt many youthful
decisions are not valid -- done to placate a persistent teacher or anxious parent.
Thats why we should never push children into making a decision. But
neither should we fail to invite them to or deny those who freely indicate a
desire to accept the Savior and show a changed life afterward.
I think its rare, but some children as young as 5 or 6 can make this decision.
My brother was 5 and I was 6 when we prayed with Mom to accept Jesus. Jon
would say it was not real at that time and probably not until he was about 18. I
have examined my own heart many times, and while my life was anything but
exemplary at times, I believe my decision that night was genuine. Saving faith
can come at an early age. In fact, all who will inhabit the kingdom must
come in childlike faith to enter the family. The question is what is childlike
faith?
II.

Kingdom People Are Childlike

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Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a
child shall not enter it. So how does a child receive the kingdom?
Two things about them teach us how to enter Gods kingdom.
A. The Kingdom Cant Be Earned
First, Lukes positioning, contrasting children with the prominent men on
either side, shows us the kingdom simply cannot be earned not by power,
position or performance.
By Power The Pharisee and the ruler were men of authority. Yet they are not
included while mere children are. That shows us earthly power is irrelevant to
God. Hes not impressed. Children have no power. They are essentially
helpless, dependent on someone else for their every need. That shows earthly
power is powerless to save.
We dare not fool ourselves that power here translates to power with God. On
December 8, 2006, Yoko Ono, wife of slain Beatle, John Lennon, took out a
full page ad in The New York Times to promote a global healing day. Her ad
promised One day we will be able to say that we healed ourselves, and by
healing ourselves, we healed the world. A nice setiment, but hopelessly
wrong. There is healing, but only in Christ. Mal 4: 2 But for you who fear my
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name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. The
paradox is, to be healed we must put aside designs on healing ourselves!
The power pole is greasy. Charlemagne knew that. He asked to be entombed
sitting upright on his throne, crown on his head, scepter in one hand, royal
cape around his shoulders and an open book in his lap. That was AD 814. Two
hundred years later, Emperor Othello opened the tomb to check it out. Inside
they found the body just as requested, gruesome with decay by now crown
tilted, mantle moth-eaten, body decayed. But on his lap was the book a Bible
with one bony finger pointing to Mt 16:26, For what will it profit a man if he
gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Charlemagne knew the answer
the abandonment of earthly position in favor of childlike faith.
By Position 2nd characteristic: Kids had no status in Jesus time. Our world
is child-centric. The whole family schedule revolves around kids. Advertisers,
sell things thru kids who have great market power. Not in Jesus day. They
were nobodies, unimportant. Thats why the disciples were turning them away.
But their lack of status did not keep them out of the kingdom and the
possession of status will not guarantee the kingdom.
The Pharisee had status, but he was out. Yet Nicodemus, another Pharisee was
eventually in. What was the difference? You remember what Jesus told
Nicodemus. John 3:3, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus is talking about spiritual rebirth, not
physical. No earthly status can effect that. Jn 1:13, Gods children are born,
not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus tells Nicodemus in Jn 3:6, 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Rebirth which qualifies one for
entrance into the kingdom is a Holy Spirit operation from beginning to end.
Kings may be saved, but not because they are kings. Emperors may be saved,
but not because they are emperors. Pharisees may be saved, but not because
they are Pharisees. The saved ones put aside status, and come to the Savior
like a child who has no position to offer. Even religious position means
nothing. Kent Hughes illustrates: If Billy Graham enters the kingdom, it
will not be because he has personally preached to more people than any
man in history. It will not be because he has remained impeccable in his
finances when so many have failed. It will not be because he has been a
faithful husband. It will not be because, despite his fame, he has remained a
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humble, self-effacing, kind man. When Billy Graham enters the kingdom, it
will be because he came to Christ as a helpless child.
By Performance -- I was 12 years old when I sat in a 7th grade Social Studies
class and watched on b/w TV as President Kennedy was inaugurated in 1961.
Even at that age, his classic line caught my attention: Ask not what your
country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. What a
beautiful challenge expressed in one sentence. It reflected the characteristics
of personal and corporate responsibility that made America great. Traits that
are still relevant. But as right as they are for the kingdom of America, they are
upside down for the kingdom of God. There the defining qualification for
inclusion might be stated this way: Ask not what you must do for Jesus; ask
what He has already done for you. Failure to get this right led to the
condemnation of the men on either side of this little interlude.
The Pharisee spent his life doing for God and then declaring himself
righteous. Jesus declared otherwise. The young ruler to follow is going to ask
Jesus, What must I do? Jesus tries to show him he is asking the wrong
question, but he goes away empty except for his bags full of money. Neither
ever got that their good performance could never be good enough. Neither
ever understood that without a Savior they had no hope. They never asked,
What is Jesus going to do for me? They never got to the right question.
Thats why right in the middle of those two Jesus illustrates, You must come
as a helpless child stripped of all personal pretensions. Only then will you
get to the right question Since I cant help myself; what can Jesus do for
me? The difference between these men and a child is obvious. They thought
they could be helpful; the child knows it is helpless.
Dan Connors was a fine middle linebacker for the Raiders years ago but a
lousy golfer. In a celebrity tournament he got the booby prize for highest score
144 double par. Coach John Madden told him, You should have cheated,
Dan! Connors replied, I did cheat. I still shot 144! Thats like us declaring
ourselves righteous. We give ourselves every benefit of the doubt. We cheat
shamelessly and still shoot double par. But the problem is way worse than
that. Why? Because a perfect score in golf isnt par. Think about it. A perfect
score in golf is 18 a hole-in-one on every hole. You say, Thats
impossible. Right? And so is meeting Gods standard of perfection. Even if
we could cheat our way down to par, like the Pharisee was doing wed still
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be like him hopelessly lost. A child gets that. Many adults never do. Our
performance will never cut it. So what is the only answer?
B. The Kingdom Can Only Be Received
Jesus told Nicodemus in Jn 3 that you dont earn your way into the kingdom,
you are born into it a spiritual re-birth. Question. How much does a child
help with its own birth? Ask mom! None, right? Its not born of its own will,
its own power, its own position or its own performance. Its just along for
the ride. Its first contribution is the gasp for air when the doc hits its bottom.
So, qualifying for heaven has nothing to do with how good you are here. Its a
gift that can only be received, never earned. When the Holy Spirit strikes us
on the bottom and says, Come, receive Jesus, we either take the first gasp
of faith in Christ, or we die. Its that simple. Children are just trusting enough
to accept a gift when its offered; only self-absorbed adults insist on earning it.
Conc So what is the difference between a child and the two men on either
side of this little vignette? The men thought they could be helpful; the child
knows it is helpless. Thats the key to getting in. Its exactly how one of the
most outwardly qualified men in history finally came to faith in Christ.
Remember? Phil 3:4-6: . . . If anyone else thinks he has reason for
confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the
people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law,
a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under
the law, blameless. Paul is making a fantastic claim here. If ever anyone
qualified for Gods kingdom by power, position and performance, it was me.
Id have topped that list. So, if you didnt get in that way, Paul, how did you
get in? Phil 3:7-8: 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of
Christ (moved it from the asset to the debit side of the ledger. From helping to
hindering). 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. How did I get in? First, I stopped
trusting in what I could do, and I started trusting in what He had already
done. How did I get into the kingdom? I received it as a child.
A few years ago a sports clinic was held at Princeton HS in Cincinnati. Coach
Dan Woodruff lent his office to guest Dave Redding, strength coach for the
Browns. Redding wanted to shower before his appearance so Dan showed him
the facilities and left. After showering, Dave went to leave the office but could
not get the door open. An hour later Dan returned to find someone hollering
for help. He opened the door, asked what the problem was and Dave explained
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hed been lock inside for the past hour. Dan laughed and told him, You
werent locked in. Just push this button on the handle and it opens right
up. What all the effort of a 230 pound strength coach could not accomplish
could be done by simply pushing the right button. Similarly all it takes is
childlike faith to open the door to heaven that all the effort in the world will
never crack. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall
not enter it, but whoever does will find the door open wide. Lets pray.