Promise of Blessings in This Life and Eternally
This is a remarkable passage, following the episode of a rich young ruler who rejected Jesus’ call to follow him. The same story is also told by Matthew [Matt 19: 23-30]. Shortly after the rich man had left, Jesus tells his disciples ‘How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ He then gives the illustration of a camel going through the eye of a needle. The disciples are perplexed, to say the least. They wonder out loud, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus’ reply is basically that it is only by God’s doing that a person can be saved. He says, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God.’
Peter then says that he [and the others] had left everything in order to follow Jesus. Matthew adds to this: ‘What then will there be for us?’ Peter seems to need assurance that his having left all his former life behind was not in vain. Jesus then answers: ‘no one who has left home… [or many relatives and earthly goods] for my sake and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age… and in the age to come, eternal life.’ This is a remarkable promise!
Let’s break down what Jesus is talking about. Without a doubt, Jesus is quite aware of the amount of sacrifice that his disciples have made in order to follow him. And he is aware of those in our present time who have done the same. So, what is Jesus telling us in this passage? I believe he is saying that the rewards of being his disciple outweigh by far the things we may have to give up in order to truly follow him. It is true that being his disciple may mean being rejected [for some a milder degree, but for others a much greater degree] by family, even one’s own parents or siblings. Jesus may call some of us to leave our familiar surroundings in order to serve him in a place far from what we call home. He may call us to give up our previous form of livelihood [i.e. ‘fields’] so that we may be free to advance his priorities. Matthew is a good example. He left the lucrative business of tax collection to become a disciple.
What about the promise of receiving ‘a hundred times as much’ in this life? What does Jesus mean by this statement? We have seen that there is a ‘cost’ to being a disciple of his. But here we are given a promise of much reward, which starts in this life and goes on to a never-ending reward in the next. Let’s look more closely at this promise. From the moment we decide to follow Jesus and accept him for who he is [Lord of all], we become part of his church. We have joined the family of God. John puts it this way: ‘… to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.’ [John 1: 12]. And now we have joined a new family, his church! And so we now have a great number of new brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, etc. This is true of the local body that we have joined [Vinewood], but even more we are now part of the entire body of believers around the globe. We need to have a greater awareness of this fact. No matter where we end up, we ought to feel right ‘at home’ wherever people are gathered in his name.
In conclusion, let’s rejoice daily in the promises Jesus has given here. We are not in the least lacking of anything of real value compared to the riches we have in Christ. Even when facing persecution or trial, we have the greatest treasure of all which is Christ himself. Within a short time of our choice to follow him, we begin to enjoy the blessing of being in his family. And we have the assurance that after this life, we will enjoy the eternal blessing of being in His kingdom in heaven.
During this time of uncertainty, let’s increase our focus on knowing Christ better and growing in our spiritual walks. We may feel the staying-at-home mode is boring or even oppressive. Some are faced with the uncertainty of loss of job, or having to change a job. These are very real consequences of the current pandemic. However, God’s call remains the same no matter what our situation. He calls us to be his people and therefore to represent him whatever our location or circumstances. This must be the first priority in our lives. All else is secondary. As the family of God, may we spur each other on to live our lives dynamically for his kingdom.
