What Do WE Get Out of It?!
Matthew 19:27-30, The Message - Then Peter chimed
in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?”
Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the
re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who
have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And
not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because
of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the
considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the
first ending up last, and the last first.”
I have obviously
never met Peter, the disciple of Jesus, but I love him. He often says what I think I might want to say
in the same situation. The only
difference is that I generally only think the Peter says without ever getting
the words out of my mouth. Peter
evidently doesn’t have the filter that I do and I honestly love him for
it.
Take
the exchange above between Jesus and Peter.
Jesus has just told the rich young man that, if he wants to receive the
kingdom, he needs to give up his wealth.
Peter hears this tough teaching and realizes that he and his compatriots
have actually done what Jesus asked. They
weren’t rich (except possibly Matthew), but they left what livelihoods they
had. Most of them had families at home
while they wandered around Israel with Jesus.
So Peter, realizing this, blurts out, “What do we get out of it?”
Had I
been there, I would have thought what Peter said, but never said it. But I’m glad Peter did, because it provides
Jesus a great moment to affirm and reassure his most committed disciples. It also allows us that same affirmation and
assurance. Whatever we have given up to
follow Jesus has been noticed. “Yes, you
have followed me,” Jesus says. Jesus
sees the sacrifices, whatever they may be for each of us. Further, He promises that whatever you and I have
left behind, it pales in comparison to what you will receive.
In a
lot of ways, I already see this in my life.
I have, on occasion, thought about how my life might have been different
had I chosen a different vocation. Most
of the time, it’s seems impossible to imagine.
I might have made more money, but I’m not sure. I’m not sure how my family would be different,
but I am sure the difference would be night and day. My guess is that we would have settled in one
place and stayed there instead of living in a dozen different places over the
years. Yes, things would have been
vastly different even though I struggle to imagine the details. In the times I have indulged these musings, I
always end up with the same conclusion. I
may have given up some possibilities to answer God’s call, but when I think of
all that I’ve gained, it hardly seems like a sacrifice. I don’t regret the decision
one bit.
I am
aware that my experience is not universal.
I have had colleagues over the years that have deeply regretted
following the path that has me so grateful.
I’m also aware that my sacrifices seem so insignificant to those of the
disciples for which Peter speaks up. I
am aware that, right now, there are Christians who are being tortured and
killed because they decided to follow Jesus.
Jesus has already kept this promise to me, but He will make good on the
promise for everyone who follows Him. The
decision to follow Jesus is always the best investment anyone can ever make. As we watch Peter grow into his calling through
the rest of the Gospels and other New Testament books, we see Him live into
Jesus’s promise. A mere fisherman
becomes the central leader in a movement that numbers in the billions
today. The Catholic church reveres him
as the first Pope.
The stories
for the rest of the disciples that day vary greatly, but history has shown that
Jesus kept the promise to them as well – some of them while they still walked
the earth and all after they were martyred.
The bedrock takeaway from this story is that the life Jesus invites us
to is one that does require us to say goodbyes to things that, in many cases,
seem very difficult to give up. However,
the promise is that, compared to what we will receive in this life and the next,
the sacrifice is minimal. I need to
remind myself of that from time to time.
Maybe I’m not the only one.
Questions: What has it
cost you to follow Jesus? What would
have been the cost if you had not chosen that path?
Prayer: God of provision, your call to follow and serve you
requires us to leave things behind. Help
us realize and trust that it is the best decision we can ever make. Help us catch a glimpse of the great things
ahead of those of us willing to trust you.
Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for the thousands of persecuted Christians across the Globe.
Song: Lord, You Give the
Great Commission – arr. Foster
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