Listen up, little ones
Listen for the word kingdom.
Reading
Mark 12:32-34 – Not Far from the Kingdom
Keys for kids
- The scribe loved Jesus’s answer.
- Jesus said the scribe was close to the Kingdom of God.
- We want to be not only close to, but also in the Kingdom.
Questions
- How did the scribe respond to Jesus’s answer?
- How did Jesus respond to the scribe’s answer?
- How do we enter the Kingdom of God?
Notes
(See last day for authors. Today’s notes are from a commentary on Mark by R.C. Sproul)
After Jesus gave these answers, the scribe was duly impressed. Mark writes: So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (vv. 32–33). I do not think the scribe was being patronizing to Jesus. I think he meant what he said. To his great credit, he even admitted that loving God and neighbor was more significant than the sacrificial system that was so important to the Jewish authorities.
Then Mark tells us, Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (v. 34a). Jesus regarded the scribe’s response as a wise one. Notice, however, that He did not say, “You are in the kingdom of God.” He said: “You are not far from the kingdom of God. You are beginning to see. You are starting to understand what it means that the Lord God omnipotent is the sovereign King and what it means to love Him for who He is.” The scribe still needed to be born again to faith in Jesus.
So do we.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 145b, 88a
Prayer
- TPray for any you know who are close to the Kingdom but not yet in it.
- Pray for the hearing of God’s word preached this Sunday.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.