How to enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 18:18-34)

As Jesus teaches about his kingdom, we see that none of us qualifies for entrance on our own merit. It takes sacrifice. Join us as we check out a guy that can't make the sacrifice, a Saviour that can, and what a life in light of that sacrifice is meant to look like. 

18 A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ”

19 “Why do you call me good? ” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

21 “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

22 When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.

24 Seeing that he became sad,[fn] Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved? ”

27 He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed you.”

29 So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.”

31 Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; 33 and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.”

34 They understood none of these things. The meaning of the saying[fn] was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.