February 24th, 2025
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” 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—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
We return to where we started the year with our first Bible Study on the Rich Young Ruler. This entire month in our devotionals, we’ve been meditating on the truth we learned from the rich young ruler’s encounter with Jesus. If we truly want to follow Jesus and obtain what our lives need the most, we must surrender our hearts to God, sacrificing what means the most to us. We’ve spoken much about the sacrifice required of us to follow Jesus and all we will lose, but what do we have to gain? What the person who loses everything for Jesus can expect is the exact concern Peter presents to Jesus in these verses of Mark 10:28-31.
This discussion between Peter, Jesus, and his disciples occurs immediately following Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22. If you recall from our Bible study earlier in the month, the story of the rich young ruler and all of chapter 10 in Mark communicates a fundamental truth about our salvation: only the humble person who acknowledges their helplessness will be saved. Good deeds or resources can’t save us, only God! Jesus highlights this point in his response to the disciple's question about who can be saved, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27-28). Your salvation and acceptance by God have nothing to do with your status, sacrifices, or efforts. Jesus' perfect life and death, and your belief in his lordship and sacrifice, make you saved! This reality is fantastic news and something we should rejoice in! But it does bring up the question, are our sacrifices meaningless?
You currently are at an age where following Jesus can be costly. To be a Christian in a time where the gospel is hated more than ever, and everything Jesus represents the world rejects, following God may mean losing friends, memories, and opportunities and potentially being hated by those around you. Are these sacrifices something that just goes unacknowledged? Peter presents this concern to Jesus on behalf of him and all the disciples (Mark 10:28). Unlike the rich young ruler unwilling to let go of what he loved most, Peter and all disciples alike gave up everything to follow Jesus!
Before we answer this question, it should be noted that if God never acknowledged our sacrifices, he would be justified in this choice. I’m sure we can all admit that for every sacrifice we’ve made for God, we’ve done twice as many selfish things that honoured ourselves over Him. However, God is so kind to us that, in his grace and mercy, he promises to reward us more than any sacrifice we will make! These verses in Mark just name a few of these rewards!
“Truly I tell you,” 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…and in the age to come eternal life.
It’s true that in following Jesus, you’ll likely lose some relationships you love. But for every friend, brother, sister, father, or mother you may lose, you’ll gain thousands of these relationships right now!
How can this be true? Consider your home church IFC! Think about the many friends you’ve made, people in the church that you consider like older and younger siblings or secondary parents. All these relationships are the kind that will last a lifetime and have come about through your commitment to follow Jesus! This reward from Jesus isn’t limited to our home church but applies to Christians worldwide! You have family members of God that you haven’t even met yet, who love you, are praying for you, and are living out the same sacrifices you are living today!
The reward for sacrifice includes our present needs! As discussed in last week's devotional, seeking God first (Matthew 6:33), we know that even when following Jesus may cost us money, shelter, or any other need, God will provide all of these things!
What makes these rewards even better is that they are not temporary but will extend to eternity in heaven. Someday, together with our billions of fellow believers, we will not have needs, pain, tears, or anything else (Revelation 21:4). It will be perfection, and we will live in joy together, forgiven of our sins, and worshiping the one who loves and cares for us most of all: God! I don’t know about you, but that reward sounds awesome and worth any sacrifice we might make!
We end our series of devotionals on commitment to Jesus by asking the question that started it all: does the Lord have your heart? If you haven’t decided yet, I encourage you to commit to giving your whole life to the Lord. Yes, the choice will cost you. Yes, following Jesus will be challenging, but as Paul once said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18). Let the reward of surrender to Jesus serve as an extra reminder of how God a life following Jesus can be!
Challenge For This Week
Knowing that someone else is facing the same challenges can help you the most during the challenging times of following Jesus. Before our next meeting, find a Christian friend and ask them to partner with you in this Christian journey. Commit to encouraging and challenging each other to seek God more this year!
Some ideas to encourage each other:
Start a bible study together
Do weekly check-ins to see how each other is doing spiritually
Pray with each other once a week