Jesus calls us to follow Him and put Him first and foremost. The story of the rich young ruler reminds us that we must get rid of things that get in the way of our relationship with Him. Sometimes that means letting go of things we think are important, in order to take hold of what is most important. This lesson examines that principle and considers what it means to allow God to be ruler of all in our lives.
Many times, when we look at this passage, we focus on the wealth element, emphasizing how it can be hard to worship God when we are distracted by money. That is certainly true; however, there’s more going on in this story. The rich man thought that he could earn himself salvation by doing enough good works. He didn’t understand that salvation comes through following Jesus, and was disappointed at the prospect of foregoing treasure to rely on someone else. We must be willing to let go of our “idols” to follow Jesus. If all we have is Christ, we have more than enough!
Sunday School Lesson on Mark 10:17-31 for Children: Through a Needle’s Eye
Passage: Mark 10:17-31
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade (Might be better geared toward older crowd)
Materials Needed: Construction paper; container; hole punch; yarn or string; key ring or carabiner; glue; markers or crayons; tape; scissors; decorative supplies; needles, string/thread; Bibles.
Lesson Opening: This lesson focuses on conversations Jesus had with the rich ruler and with the disciples. Jesus described the difficulty of a camel traveling through a needle, and the dangers of putting good works or good wealth ahead of God. Consider opening activities that touch on the “impossible” or letting go of things. Have fun and choose how you’d like to kick things off! Some possible ideas include:
- Needle-threading relay: Use large plastic craft needles and string, and have students practice getting the string through the needle. Then make a race out of it, dividing the group into teams and having a relay to thread several needles one at a time.
- Commandments Pictionary (older students): Have students take turns drawing (or acting out, for a charades version) one of the ten commandments, and have others guess which one is represented. Discuss how the commandments are good to follow, but not the way to eternal life.
- Play a game of “Simon Says” or “follow the leader.” Remind students of the importance of following Jesus above all else.
- What would you get? What would you give? Discuss with children what they might want to buy with unlimited resources. You may wish to look through catalogues or magazines for examples of items, and pretend to “spend” money on things. Then talk about what kids would give away in order to help someone, or in order to get something greater. What would it take to give up everything??
- Let it Go Juggle: Provide students with a variety of items representing different obligations (books for school, sporting equipment, etc.). See how many they can pick up at once, and point out that eventually they need to set items down in order to pick up more. We sometimes have to let go of things in our lives in order to follow Jesus, the most important thing we can do.
- Camel race: Have students team up in twos or threes, forming “camels” by placing a sheet or blanket over them so that one student is the “head” and another the “hump” or “tail.” Carefully race around the room with the camel teams.
Explain to students that today’s lesson is about putting Jesus first and recognizing that He is the source of strength and salvation. We might thing we can achieve great things, but without God, there’s nothing we can do!
Bible Lesson: Mark 10: 17-31 Explained for Children – Follow Jesus Christ and you will inherit the Kingdom of God.
This could be a good passage to assign “roles” to students and have them act out the various speaking parts. You could merely take turns reading, as well. Or as a teacher, you might read the story out loud and invite students to “mime act” it out as you go. Choose the preferred reading method for your group ages and size.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” -Mark 10:17
People often came to Jesus with life questions and inquiries, which was only natural as word had spread that He was a great teacher and healer. This man was begging to know how he could be assured of his place in Heaven, but his question had a couple of flaws. For one thing, He seemed to be under the impression that he could gain himself a ticket to God’s kingdom. He was also asking how he might “inherit” eternal life, although inheritance is not something to earn, but to receive, and we receive eternal life directly through Christ. The young man didn’t understand who Jesus truly was.
Ask: What would you tell someone who asked this question?
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” -Mark 10:18-20
Jesus started by stating that no one is really good except for God. Of course, Jesus is God, but His question back at the young man was more an inquiry about whether the man understood who He was (which it seems the man did not). Jesus reminded the man of the Law and Commandments. The ruler probably thought he was in pretty good shape, since he claims to have kept them all since childhood. If that’s all it took to gain eternal life, maybe he would be fine! Of course, in God’s eyes, the man had not truly kept the commandments to full extent, even if he thought he did. Jesus then dropped another weight of responsibility, to test what the man’s priorities truly were.
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
-Mark 10:21-22
Jesus loved the young man, and wanted the best for Him. He also wanted to challenge the ruler’s priorities. He knew that this young man was dependent on his own good works and his own wealth for satisfaction. He thought he could earn or buy his way into Heaven, and he loved his possessions. Jesus wanted him to be willing to lay that down for a greater treasure, but it was just too much. This verse says that he gave up and went away, rather than consider letting go of his riches. At the end of the day, wealth was his idol, and he just couldn’t bear to let it go.
Ask: What would be hard for you to give up? What does it mean to have treasure in heaven?
Jesus continued to discuss this matter, turning to His disciples to discuss what had happened with the rich man. It’s important to note that being rich and having nice things does not prevent us from entering God’s kingdom. It’s okay to have money, but that’s not the most important thing. We can’t rely on that for happiness. We don’t want to depend on our wealth or stuff to make us satisfied.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.” -Mark 10:23-25
If students might not be familiar, hold up a sewing needle to demonstrate the size of its “eye.” Explain the difficulty that a hump-backed camel might have in getting through such a thing. It seems impossible! Jesus communicated here that a rich man would be more likely to depend on riches for happiness, not recognizing that everything comes from God alone. A rich man would be satisfied already with things, and not look to the ruler of all things or await the hope of Heaven. Again, this doesn’t mean wealthy people have no hope of salvation, just that they might be focused on the wrong things.
26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” -Mark 10:26-31
This idea of humble service appears a lot in the Gospels. The disciples followed Jesus and depended on Him, laying aside jobs and money in the process. Jesus reminds them that this world will be challenging, but the “last shall be first” at the end of the day. We are not to expect ease and luxury in this life. God’s rewards don’t always look the same as what we might consider earthly treasures and rewards. We do not do things on our own power, but with God all things are possible. We look to Him for salvation, strength, and hope. Sometimes this might mean that we need to relinquish what we formerly thought of as important, in order to take hold of Jesus and earnestly put Him and His people first. For a short while, it seems difficult, but in the end it’s certainly worth it!
Close with prayer, thanking God for Jesus and asking for help in trusting and relying on Him alone for joy and salvation.