A ruler approaches Jesus with a question that has echoed through the centuries: what must I do to inherit eternal life? He is wealthy, respected, and careful to keep the commandments. By any normal measure, he is a good man. And yet he knows something is missing.

In this sermon from Luke 18:15-30, Revd. Mark Fletcher sets this encounter alongside one of the loveliest moments in the Gospels and asks why Luke placed these two stories side by side. The answer is striking: the kingdom of God is not a deal to be done. It is a gift to be received. So why do we keep trying to earn it?

We chase wealth and status, convinced they will make us secure. We invest in possessions that offer only false promises. Yet Jesus offers an alternative: give yourself away to God and to other people and discover that true richness is found in relationships, not in things.

What would it look like to come to God with the open hands of a child?

Full transcript and video: https://stpeters.ch/sermons/the-kingdom-is-a-gift/?utm_source=acny&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sermon-2026-03-15