Mark 10:15 (ASV)

Passage

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.

Nearby Context

Mark 10:13 And they were bringing unto him little children, that he should touch them: and the disciples rebuked them.

Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.

Mark 10:16 And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

Mark 10:17 And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "verily", "whosoever", "shall", "receive", "kingdom", "little", and "child". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "verily" and "whosoever", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "But when Jesus saw it he was..." into verse 16's "And he took them in his arms...", so "verily" and "whosoever" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "verily" and "whosoever" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.