Luke 18:28-30 (NIV) 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.”
Far from being rich, the disciples of Jesus had left all that they had, wealth, jobs, family, to follow Him. Economically, they lived in a completely different universe than the rich young ruler who began this conversation. For them, riches weren’t a god, and their prospects for ever becoming wealthy were slim to none. So what did Jesus have to say to them in their situation?
Jesus did not point out any fault in what Peter claimed, no shading of the truth. The disciples really had left all behind to follow Jesus. In a sense, they were like the widow who had put two lepta (thin copper coins) into the temple treasury, and then, to the astonishment of the disciples, was proclaimed by Jesus to have given more to God than those who had thrown in several silver or gold coins. They had given some of their excess, but she had given all that she had to live on, and was relying on God to provide for her (Luke 21:1-4).
Peter and the rest had not given Jesus a few hours of their spare time, but had given Him all that they had, all that they were. And, as such, they had placed themselves directly in the path of God’s provision. Though they had given up much, God would see that their needs (and the needs of their families back home) were met out of His abundant kingdom provision (Matthew 6:33). He even promised to provide them with abundant homes and families to replace those that they had sacrificed by following Him. And they had already experienced that. They had stayed in homes in every town they visited, people who opened their doors and provided them with places to stay and food to eat. And they had abundant family, brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus, to accompany them on the way.
And, because they had already done what Jesus had demanded of the rich young ruler, turn away from worldly riches and be completely devoted to God and his cause, they also had treasure in heaven, and eternal life waiting for them when their work on earth was completed. They never had to worry about the future as long as they continued to follow Jesus, and as long as they kept their priorities in line with His.
Father, this shows so well how everything fits together. The disciples had already received what the rich young ruler had been promised, but had refused because the cost to himself seemed so high. But all he could see was the loss of what he had devoted his whole life to amassing. He couldn’t see the blessings that would amass all the way to eternity, if only he would obey Jesus. Help all of us, your people, to never go astray, to never make anything in this world, home, wife, brothers, parents, or children, more precious to us than You are. Amen.