Receiving and Living in the Kingdom of God

Receiving God’s kingdom

In St Mark’s Gospel, the Kingdom of God means God’s rule or reign. These passages explore how people receive that rule and what living under it demands. Jesus welcomes children, challenges a wealthy man and identifies love as the heart of religious commitment. Together, they connect trust in God with practical concern for others.

Jesus welcomes the children — Mark 10:13–16

People brought little children to Jesus so that he could place his hands on them. The disciples rebuked those bringing them, attempting to stop the encounter. Jesus was indignant: he told the disciples not to hinder the children because the Kingdom of God belongs to people like them. He then took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

His welcome was more than an act of kindness. Jesus said that anyone who would not receive the kingdom ‘like a little child’ would never enter it. Christians commonly understand this as a call to trust and dependence: people receive God’s kingdom rather than earning it through importance, wealth or achievement. Childlike faith means trusting God, not behaving immaturely.

The disciples acted as barriers, but Jesus made the children examples for adults. His response teaches his followers not to exclude people they consider unimportant. For Christians today, this can influence how churches welcome children and how adults listen to and care for them. A humanist could also value Jesus’ welcome as an example of respect for children, without accepting the religious claim about God’s kingdom.

The rich man’s question — Mark 10:17–27

A man ran to Jesus, knelt before him and asked, ‘Good teacher … what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus questioned his use of ‘good’, saying that God alone is good. He then reminded the man of commandments: not to murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony or defraud, and to honour his father and mother. The man replied that he had kept these since he was a boy.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. His challenge therefore came from concern for the man, not contempt. Jesus told him to sell everything he had, give to the poor and then follow him; he would have treasure in heaven. The man went away sad because he had great wealth.

The man’s question concerned eternal life, but Jesus’ answer exposed a present obstacle: his possessions mattered more to him than following Jesus. Keeping commandments had not yet led him to the complete commitment Jesus asked for. Giving to the poor would both loosen his attachment to wealth and benefit people in need.

Wealth, commitment and God’s power

Jesus told the disciples how hard it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom. He used a striking comparison: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. The enormous animal and tiny opening communicate a difficulty beyond ordinary human ability.

The astonished disciples asked who could be saved. Jesus answered, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’ The passage therefore combines a demanding challenge with hope. Neither wealth nor a record of good behaviour makes salvation something a person can secure independently of God.

Christians can differ over how to apply the command to sell everything. One reading treats radical renunciation of possessions as a model of discipleship. Another understands this as a particular challenge to this man, whose wealth prevented him from following Jesus, while still requiring all Christians to practise generosity and resist attachment to possessions. Neither reading makes the needs of the poor irrelevant.

In contemporary Britain, the passage can encourage charitable giving and reflection on spending priorities. Non-religious readers may share its concern for poverty while rejecting its teaching about salvation. They might judge generosity by its effects on people’s wellbeing rather than by its relationship to eternal life.

Love at the centre — Mark 12:28–34

During Jesus’ debates in Jerusalem, a teacher of the law heard him answering well and asked which commandment was the most important. This teacher recognised wisdom in Jesus’ answers, showing that an encounter with a religious teacher could involve agreement rather than hostility.

Jesus began with the declaration, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’ He then identified wholehearted love of God as the first commandment: love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This draws on the Shema, a Jewish declaration of faith, and Deuteronomy 6:4–5. Jesus’ teaching is rooted in Jewish belief, rather than presenting love of God as a new invention.

The command involves the whole person: feelings, thought, commitment and action. Religious devotion is therefore more than occasional worship or simply saying that God exists.

Jesus also gave the command from Leviticus 19:18 to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’, adding that no commandment is greater than these two. This asks people to take others’ needs seriously, as they take their own. Love is not merely a feeling: giving to someone in poverty or welcoming someone who is excluded can express it. The rich man’s challenge and Jesus’ welcome of children show how these priorities can shape behaviour.

Understanding love and approaching the kingdom

The teacher agreed that God is one and that there is no other God. He also affirmed that loving God wholeheartedly and loving one’s neighbour are more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. These were forms of religious worship involving offerings to God. His response placed love above ritual observance: performing religious ceremonies cannot replace devotion to God and care for others.

Jesus recognised the wisdom of this answer and told him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ This connects understanding the priority of love with being close to God’s rule. It is an encouraging judgement, but Jesus does not explicitly say that the teacher has already entered the kingdom. Mark ends the exchange by saying that no one dared ask Jesus any more questions, emphasising the authority of his answers.

For Christians, Mark’s Gospel has religious authority as scripture, so these commands guide both personal choices and community life. They can encourage churches to connect worship with practical support for people in need. A humanist may accept neighbour-love because it promotes wellbeing and mutual respect, while not treating the Gospel as divine authority. The same practical action can therefore have different foundations.

Which command matters most?

A Christian could argue that loving God is fundamental because Jesus names it first. Wholehearted commitment to God gives direction to the rest of life, including how a person treats others. On this view, generosity and welcome are expressions of faith rather than substitutes for it.

Another argument gives particular emphasis to neighbour-love because it produces practical help. The rich man’s story shows that religious observance can fall short when someone will not respond to the needs of the poor. The teacher’s statement that love outweighs sacrifices also challenges the idea that performing rituals is the highest religious priority. Non-religious readers may find neighbour-love especially valuable because it can guide action without requiring belief in God.

A justified Christian conclusion can bring the commands together: love of God supplies the foundation, while love of neighbour gives that commitment practical expression. Jesus names both commands as greater than the others and praises the teacher who recognises their importance. The passages challenge both devotion without care for others and the assumption that possessions or achievements can secure entry into God’s kingdom.