Our Eternal Inheritance - The Kingdom of Heaven

We praise you, King Eternal, for you are immortal, invisible, the only God. Our Savior, we worship you, giving you honor and glory for ever and ever. You dwell in glory, majesty, power and authority before all ages, now and forever more!

As we read your Word, may we understand more fully our eternal inheritance. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17, Jude 1:24-25)

Scripture Reading - Mark 10:17-31 (ESV)

     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?”

     And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 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.’”

     And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

     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.” 

     Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

     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!”

     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! 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.”

     And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”

     Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

     Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”

     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, 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. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Father, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you! Surely, your goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives and into eternity. For you have promised that we will dwell in your house forever! (Psalm 23:6, 31:19)

Jesus, we confess that like the rich young ruler, we too have not kept the greatest commandment - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Show us what we are clinging to, possessing and loving more than you, Lord God. Help us to sell it, give it away, release it so that we will follow you wholeheartedly.

Father, we desire to lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:21) We hear you calling to us:

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:32-34)

What an eternal inheritance you promise us - the kingdom of heaven! Amen.


English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.