Mark 10: the child, the rich and the kingdom

Jesus was preaching about the coming of the kingdom of the skies: a new era is coming. Is this new era to everybody?

13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Jesus welcome the children. To enter in God's kingdom it is necessary to accept it in the simplicity of a child. We adults are always negotiating. We give to take, or we take before giving. A child is more simple - he/she just accepts with no second intentions.
We contrast it with the young rich man:

17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

In other words, how do I enter in the new era, in the kingdom?


18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”

Through Paul's letters we understand that the key to enter in God's kingdom is Jesus. I enter in God's kingdom through Jesus work, not mine. Neither me, nor the young rich man can do everything to enter in kingdom. The rich man previously thought that he was OK to enter in the new era, but then, Jesus made clear that he loved his treasures more than the kingdom, he couldn't let his treasures go away.
Children are more simple: they have no treasures, nothing to give and get in return.