This section has three parts: (1) Jesus’ blessing of the children (vv. 15–17), (2) the rich leader and related sayings on possessions (vv. 18–30), and (3) Jesus’ third passion prediction (vv. 31–34). To a greater or lesser degree the theme of the kingdom underlies all three of these parts. In the blessing of the children Jesus states that the “kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 16). After his encounter with the rich ruler, Jesus declares, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (v. 24). Finally, in Jesus’ pronouncing for the third time his impending passion, the reader would likely see a kingdom connotation here as well, since the glorious return of the Son of Man, at which time the kingdom of God is established in its fulness, can take place only after he has …