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Children in Jesus' day were highly insignificant, lacking security, dependent on the will of others. To enter the kingdom one must die to self-autonomy and self-security, and this is precisely what the rich young ruler refused to do. He had impressive credentials, but seemed to know that they were inadequate to qualify him for eternal life. In fact, according to Jesus, he lacked only one thing, the only thing: total self-abandonment. His great wealth, then, is developed as a symbol of the problem of faith. The root problem in Mark is hardness of heart, of which wealth is here an expression. Salvation, therefore, is impossible for everyone, but more so for the rich. Yet with God the self-abandonment necessary for entry into the kingdom (for salvation) is possible. So the rich young ruler is contrasted with the children of 10:13-16 and also with Jesus' disciples—who have renounced everything. In the reversal of the kingdom, what is renounced is again received with the establishment of a new family having God as Father. Persecutions, too, are gained, underscoring again how the shape of discipleship is determined by the Cross.