Rewards and Boasting
| 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." (Mark10:28-31) |
Jesus' response, as it often was, was enigmatic. In short, He promises rewards for those who make sacrifices, but also warns that persecution and trials will be part of the journey. He speaks about both this present world and the world to come.
Those who follow Jesus will walk a challenging road. There will be things to let go of, and sometimes people will let go of us because of our faith. But there are blessings too. We will find a spiritual family, and sometimes even material provision, but there will still be trouble.
This world is not our final destination. It is still broken. Believers have the joy of knowing God as Father, experiencing forgiveness and grace, and belonging to the faith community. But trouble does not disappear. This is our earthly life ("this present age") and it is not the end of the story. Our final destination ("the age to come") is eternal life with the Author of Life. There, brokenness will be healed and evil defeated.
In the meantime, we are called to put Him first, even when it means sacrifice. Blessings will come - sometimes in surprising ways - but trouble will come too, and we should not let it derail us.
Jesus ends with a gentle warning. "Be careful about boasting, Peter. Eternity will reveal all things, and those who thought they had done the most may discover that others gave even more. Sometimes the first will end up last, and the last first."
