Out-giving God

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

OUT-GIVING GOD

Mark 10:28-31

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." 

NIV

This is the conclusion of the conversation that stemmed from the rich young man going away sadden because he could not give up his wealth. He treasured it more than eternal life. He had a greater concern for his present life and how he was able to enjoy its pleasures than the life Jesus was able to give. Now Peter is making sure that Jesus knows he is not like that man, he is making sure Jesus knows he and his fellow disciples have given up everything in order to follow Jesus. But if our memory serves us well, we know that sometime after the death of Jesus, Peter returns to his boat, and goes fishing. He must not have given it up completely, or sold it and given the money for the ministry. True he may not have been as wealthy as that young rich man, but at the same time he appears he really had not given up everything either. Jesus sets the record straight making it very clear the no matter how much we give up to follow Jesus we will be greatly rewarded both in this world and in the one to come. The simple fact is that we cannot out give God. Again, does Jesus actually expect us to sell our homes, cars, clothes and all our toys to follow him? What if all that is what he has blessed us with a hundred times over in this present age because we had left it and followed him? Do we have to give it up again? It appears the point  is that we really should not put that much value on anything and that we should be willing to forsake all for Jesus and the gospel. Once we have decided to do that nothing else matters, but God will still make sure we are cared for. He will not forsake us in this world or the one to come. It still comes back to that fact, we cannot out give God.