27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
If you remember yesterday's passage, a rich young ruler came and asked Jesus what he had to do to receive eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell everything he has and give it to the poor, the man can't give it up and went away sad. Jesus says "It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to inherit the Kingdom of God." The disciples are astonished by this and ask, "Who then can be saved." Jesus responds by saying that for man this is impossible, but for God, all things are possible. And THEN Peter responds to Jesus by asking the above question:
“We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus' response is threefold. The Apostles who abandon everything to follow him will receive four things. The last two are for ALL Christians, but the first reward is ONLY for the Twelve Apostles. They are as follows:
- The Apostles will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel
- The multiplication of what we abandon for the kingdom (Present fulfillment)
- Hope for Eternal life (Future Fulfillment but Present Reality)
The first reward is only for the 12 Apostles. This first reward for the twelve apostles isn't as shocking if we understand the reason for TWELVE apostles. The main purpose of this book is introducing Jesus as King and showing Christians that we are a part of his Kingdom. This is very different from the ethnic nation of Israel who thought they were God's kingdom. They rejected God as their King (1 Samuel 8) and so God has rejected them as his people. Because of this, Jesus came to establish a new Kingdom, and he began by creating a new Israel, a new twelve tribes. This is what the 12 Apostles stood for.
Because of this, Jesus is establishing the fact to Peter that they are the new Israel, the new kingdom of God, and because they are the new kingdom of God, means that God has judged the old kingdom of Israel already. Them being God's new nation implies that the old nation is done away with. That is what is at the heart of this first reward. Now for the last three.
When we abandon houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, or children or even work for Jesus, we will receive 100 times as much...Now. This is not a future promise, that is eternal life. But when we as Christians have to make those hard decisions about family members who are non-Christians, especially if those family members say they are going to disown you if you become a Christian, Jesus is saying you will receive 100 times as much as what you give up. Because when you have to abandon family members or friends, or even children, or jobs, the body of Christ will give you 100 more brothers, sisters, fathers and children in Christ. The Body of Christ, the church, will help you get work, find houses. The Church is God's kingdom on earth, and when you give up things to be a part of the Church, the church will meet your needs, today. That is Jesus' promise.
The last reward that all Christians will receive is eternal life. This is the blessing to spend eternity with Jesus. Yet what do we do with these three verses?
First, we have to realize that abandoning everything to follow Jesus is really hard but really worth it. I am not coming anywhere close to saying that when non-Christian family members say you have to make a choice between them or Jesus, that that is an easy thing to do. Yet, Jesus promises that you will be given 100 times as much of anything you give up for the kingdom. So, following Jesus may mean we have to abandon everything, yet being a part of God's kingdom here on earth is worth it.
The Second thing we need to realize about this passage, is that we are called, as the church, to supply these things to those who abandon them for the Kingdom. We are to be Fathers and brothers and mothers and children to people who give those things up for the kingdom. We are to supply jobs, houses, meet material needs of people who abandon those for Jesus.
So which truth do you need to hear and live out today? Do you need to abandon something in order to fully follow Jesus? Or do you need to be the church by providing those things for others?
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