Mark 10:28-31 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The disciples have just watched a man of "great wealth" walk away sad because the Lord told him, Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. (Mark 10:21) When Jesus commented on how hard it is to enter into heaven, the disciples wondered who then could be saved, and Jesus came back with the powerful answer that what was impossible with man was possible with God. Now in today's passage, we have Peter with his response that the disciples have left everything, all their worldly goods and their families and friends, to follow their Lord. Jesus replies that in this present age they will receive a hundred times as much, and He goes on to list specifics: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields. We cannot help but pause to question his remarks, for we know the disciples' lives following their commitment to Jesus. We know they faced deprivation and hardships in every area of life and, as Jesus ended his statement, and with them persecutions. Yet as we think more deeply, we realize, as these men of faith embedded their lives deeply into serving their God as disciples of their Lord, they did indeed gain a hundredfold over what they lost. Everywhere they went, they found new families in the faith. They made new brothers and sisters, and they met mothers and fathers who nurtured them and built them up in their faith. While at times they had nowhere to place their tired bodies at night, on other cold nights, kind folks shared their homes, and the disciples slept by a warm fire after a filling meal of food from the harvest of the field. The persecutions were unending; but as they were chased from one town, they hurried to the next, believing there were hungry souls, awaiting the "Good News" of the gospel and brothers and sisters in the faith.
We know from the historical record of the New Testament church that all the disciples not only left everything for Jesus and faced many difficulties as they took the gospel to the known world, they all faced a martyr's death for their Lord. When we think of their loving commitment and their total sacrifice, we are so thankful Jesus does not stop his answer to Peter with his discussion of worldly situations, but He ends his list by saying: and in the age to come (they will receive) eternal life. The end result of leaving EVERYTHING to follow Jesus is eternal life. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24) This is the inheritance of the saints of God; this is the everlasting reward. We are servants of the Most High God, under orders to a Higher Authority, doing his will and not our own. This world is not our home, so we do not consider the events and vicissitudes of life as the most important elements of our existence. Paul wrote, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) He knew who he was in Christ and who Christ was in him. He was serving the risen Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit and looking for that heavenly city not made by human hands. Paul would not have thought it strange to think that Christians should give up everything to follow Jesus because what else would a fully committed believer do? If you have been crucified with Christ, then you have died to yourself, and you have come alive unto Christ your Lord. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Since you are a new creation in Christ, Satan has no more power to defeat you. When John writes about false prophets, he says, You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) We are filled with the Holy Spirit; therefore, John says we are to try the spirits and see if they are of God. This spiritual discernment should keep us from following false teachers who would lead us from the truth. Jesus said, But many who are first will be last, and the last first. If we want to please the Lord, then we should not lift up our own positions in life. We should use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to advance the kingdom of God. As new creatures in the family of God, joint heirs with Christ, we have the privilege of serving the Lord where He leads us. Each day is a new beginning, a day the Lord has made for us to worship him and to serve others. We attended a memorial service for Cliff's oldest brother this weekend. Members of the family got up and shared their memories of growing up with him. They told how much they loved him as a brother and a friend, but the most important event shared was when he surrendered his life to Jesus and was born again. He was changed completely from darkness to light. Everyone rejoiced in his salvation. We saw him a week before his passing and were able to pray with him. He shared with us how wonderful it was for him to know the Lord and how much he loved Jesus. He told us how he loved his family and his friends. We saw the joy of the Lord in him despite the pain he was experiencing from cancer. We were touched by the sweetness of his spirit. We know we will meet him again someday in our eternal home. Blessed be the name of the Lord! If you are struggling in any area of your life today, turn to Jesus. He is for you, on your side. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:7-8) You may feel oppressed on every side, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) Our God is an awesome God!
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