Luke 18:28-30 28And Peter said, “Behold, after leaving our own things we have followed you.” 29And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30who will not receive many times more at this time and in the coming age, eternal life.”
Outspoken Peter voices the thoughts of the other disciples. His statement was true. They had left everything to follow Jesus. His statement could be taken in two ways. It could be viewed with a bit of exasperation in the sense that Peter was wondering if what they had done would really be enough to enter God’s kingdom. Or, it could be a form of boasting in that the disciples were not like the rich young ruler but had done the right thing. Surely they would qualify for God’s kingdom.
Jesus gives Peter and the rest some assurance that their commitment to him was not a waste of their time and effort. We may wonder at times if all the struggle to be a follower of Jesus is worth it. It is not always easy being a disciple, especially in rejecting the temptations of the world and its material things. Jesus lists those things people consider most valuable in this life: house, representing all one’s possessions; wife, representing the one person closest to the disciples; and then the rest of the family, even one’s children. Verse 29 is a difficult verse to consider. It could be interpreted to mean that our families are not important in discipleship, but that is a wrong understanding of what Jesus is saying. The key idea is that this leaving is done for the sake of God’s kingdom. It is a matter of priority. What is most valuable to use cannot compare to the value of God’s kingdom.
Verse 30 gives the counter-balance to the extreme cost of verse 29. The cost of leaving all is worth it because God will indeed bless us, both in this lifetime and in eternity. Even if a person were to lose family, he or she will become part of the larger family of God. Material blessings will be outweighed by spiritual blessings. God’s kingdom has come, and we can participate in its many blessings by full commitment to Jesus as Lord. Jesus’ teachings call for radical and complete commitment. Disciple will cost what is most precious in this world, but God will return to us an even better blessing.
When we give up even our spouse, we will find that God makes this person our brother and sister. Our marriage relationship takes on a deeper meaning than how the world sees a marriage. The greatest joy in this world is to be married to a brother or sister in the Lord. Our family takes on deeper meaning as we learn to love them unconditionally like Jesus loves us. Even our possessions can be sanctified to God and God’s purposes. We should not give up our wealth to God as a way to receive more wealth and prosperity. Giving to God is not a guarantee that we will be happy, healthy, and wealthy. It means that we have fully committed to God as supreme in our lives, no matter what happens to us in this life.
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