Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) - Hinsdale, IL

March 9, 2025

·34 min·3 clips

Jesus tells a wealthy man he lacks one thing: to sell all he has and follow, but the man walks away sorrowful.

The reading opens with children being held back. The disciples rebuke the people bringing them, as if these children are too small to matter. Jesus is indignant, and the sermon stays with that. His anger shows what he loves and what he will not let his own disciples trample. Religious leaders get angry when the law is challenged. The disciples later get angry about places of honor. Jesus gets angry for children. That lands with some bite, because the disciples are using the world's scale of importance, where helpless people become interruptions. Let the children come. That command becomes the center of the sermon, especially when the children of Trinity are addressed directly. Jesus wants them near. They do not have to impress him, grow up first, or do some great work before he receives them. He takes them in his arms, and the tenderness matters. This is not a blessing held at a distance. He touches, welcomes, and gives without asking for strength. Then a man runs up with a serious question about inheriting eternal life. Jesus names commandments the man says he has kept, then looks at him and loves him. That love also exposes him. He lacks one thing, and he cannot let go of his great possessions. He leaves sorrowful. The contrast is quiet and hard: children receive the kingdom with empty hands, while the wealthy moral man grieves when asked to follow. The closing prayer brings the passage home through confession, naming lack of love, helplessness to cure ourselves, and the need to come to God for grace.

As heard by us

A searching Mark 10 reflection on helplessness, wealth, and Jesus' welcome.

The review frames the sermon as a focused reading of Mark 10, where Jesus welcomes children who bring no status and challenges a wealthy man whose confidence keeps him from coming empty-handed.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Mark 10 sermon where children's neediness meets the uncomfortable weight of great possessions.

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