So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
Mark 10:29-30
Mark 10:29-30
Following the rich young ruler’s sad departure, Jesus shared with His disciples how hard it was for those who had riches to move into spiritual things because they trusted in their riches. Peter responded by recounting all that the disciples had given up to follow the Lord. This is Jesus answer: You will get it all back many times over along with persecutions as well as eternal life in the next age. Jesus is beginning to share with His disciples the cost of following God. Until now, Jesus had borne the cost for them.
Like the disciples, we can count on the Lord to care for us. Hebrews 11 tells us that it is necessary to believe that He is a rewarder to be able to have enough faith in Him to come to Him in the first place. We need to accept the fact that He will provide for us in a manner that is more than enough. Then we need to look to the rest of the promise.
First of all Jesus honestly told us there would be difficulties for those who sacrificed for His sake or for the sake of the gospel. It’s true, we will have challenges as we follow Jesus, trying to be like Him in character and trying to spread the good news. We can arm ourselves with the same mind that He had. We can be humble and not take advantage of our rights so that we maximize the Kingdom’s growth.
The next part of the promise is the best – eternal life in the age to come. No matter how things work out here, we have eternity to achieve anything we missed. Since the perfect pursuit of Jesus is impossible, it is crucial that we understand that He will restore all in that age to come. We can count on receiving our reward there. Scripture assures us that at His right are pleasures forevermore. I take heart in that. None of the mistakes I have made will short me of my reward in Heaven. I believe in Jesus not me.
Lord, I pray You give me the insight to stay focused on the task at hand while keeping the end with you in perspective. Help me not dwell on success or failure from my point of view. Let me see things the way you do whether I am experiencing reward or persecution.
In the Promise,
Pastor Jason
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