Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30 (NIV)
[see also Mt. 10:28-30]
We can all agree that it is a natural desire to want to know what we will receive in return for the job and sacrifice we do in service to another person or organization. In a very important way, it is good stewardship of our time and talents, as well as wisdom, to know this up front so that we do not obligate ourselves to something we consider beyond our value and worth. Are the promised benefits worth the time and effort we give? Is the promised reward equal to or greater than the value of the sacrifice required? Is the promised profit sufficient to justify the investment?
Twentieth century Christianity birthed a whole new theology of material prosperity based on the human desire for a gratifying reward. However, when the rich young ruler inquired of Jesus about how to receive eternal life, Jesus explained that he should give away all his material wealth and become Christ’s disciple (Lu. 18:22). Both Matthew and Luke report that this young rich man left in an unhappy state of mind because he possessed great material wealth. He did not get the response from Jesus that he was expecting. In his opinion, our Lord required more than he was willing to give. This prosperous young man did not believe that the reward promised in return for Christian discipleship was worth the sacrifice Christ asked of him. Also, Jesus was unhappy because this young man chose material possession rather than eternal life. He looked at His disciples and said, “take note that is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to get in the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25).
So, Peter voices the concern of all those who have sacrificed everything to follow Christ (see today’s passage). Our Lord understands this concern and explained in such clear terms that we may conclude this to be a divine promise from Him. Those who give away their earthly, material possessions to follow Christ do not simply sacrifice material possession. Instead, our physical sacrifices express our spiritual trust. We give away our possessions in complete trust that our Lord will take care of us as He does the birds and flowers. Perhaps, like Peter and the others, when the call came we simply dropped what we were doing and followed Jesus without asking about the cost/reward aspects of following Him. So, when the issue came up, Jesus addressed it with a promise (vss. 29-30). Those who sacrifice everything in this world for Him will “receive many times as much” in family and material wealth in this world as was sacrificed. And more importantly, they will receive the ultimate reward . . . eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
Dear Father, thank you for the sacrifice Jesus made for us on Calvary. Instill in us the spiritual fortitude to sacrifice everything here for the ultimate reward in eternity. In the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN
Be encouraged by the ultimate reward . . . it is worth it,