Big, Big Family - Mark 10:28-31 Series

Mark 10:28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" 29 "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 30 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. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Introduction: What’s In It For Me?

We left off last time with the rich young ruler walking away. He seemed so eager. The hottest prospect in Israel runs up to Jesus—this guy was voted “Most likely to enter the kingdom of God” by his class. Everything in his attitude shouted, “I’ll do anything—just tell me what to do.” Jesus says, “Your money,” and the guy’s face clouds over, he drops his head, and walks away dejected because he had great wealth. Jesus didn’t mess around with this guy—he pressed his thumb right down on his idol, and the guy says, “No, I can’t give that up, not even for eternal life.”

And as he’s walking away, Jesus gives the disciples a profound lesson on how it’s next to impossible for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. And by the time Jesus is done with his explanation, the disciples are wondering if anyone will make it into the kingdom. Jesus says that, by God’s grace the answer is yes.

So the obvious question rattling around in Peter’s brain at this point is, “Okay, so what about us?” And any time something is rattling around in Peter’s brain, it rattles right on out of his mouth. You love a guy like Peter because you can always count on him to speak up in those moments when no one else dares say it out loud. You’ve got this solemn, shocking moment. The man is walking away from the eternal life he so desperately wanted because the price was too high—give up everything. The disciples are astonished. They watch this man disappear out of sight down the road.

And in the silence, Peter speaks. “You know we left everything to follow you. Just sayin’.” (v.28) What is he saying? He wants to know what’s in it for him.

Now at this point you’re just bracing yourself for a rebuke from Jesus, right? It seems like the disciples get rebuked for just about everything they ever say do—especially Peter. And some of those rebukes might strike us as a little harsh, right? A storm was sinking their boat in deep water in the middle the night and Jesus rebuked them for being afraid. Most of us would have probably given them a pass on that one. But this—some guy just got shut out of the kingdom of God and Peter’s saying, “What’s in it for me?” We don’t even need Jesus to rebuke him, because thousands of preachers throughout the centuries have done it. “What a greedy, self-serving question! What’s the matter with you Peter? Ask not what the kingdom of God can do for you; ask rather what you can do for the kingdom! You shouldn’t be in it to get, but to give!”

If that’s what we would expect, as usual, Jesus does the exact opposite.

29 "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 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much

“Glad you asked, Peter. Great question! What’s in it for you? A hundred times what you gave up!” The one time we all agree that Peter really did deserve a rebuke—instead of rebuking him, Jesus gushes about how much reward he’s going to get. And in describing that reward, Jesus teaches us some crucially important principles about discipleship, about reward, and about the church.

The Cost of Discipleship

What You Must Give Up

Notice first that Jesus accepts Peter’s premise. Peter says, "We have left everything to follow you" and Jesus goes on to describe the reward people who do that will get, so he’s affirming what Peter said was true. They had left everything. Say what you will about the disciples—we love to laugh at their failures and foibles and follies—but still, you’ve got to hand it to them. Jesus said, “Leave it all behind and follow me” and they didn’t hesitate. They walked away from their careers, livelihood, family, friends, everything that was familiar and comfortable and safe—what the rich young ruler couldn’t bring himself to do, they did it.

That’s significant because it tells us there is a cost to following Jesus. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote the famous book, The Cost of Discipleship. And we see here that’s a good title. If you want to be a Christian, it will cost you.