Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property — along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”
Key Thought
Jesus is basically promising three things in this Scripture:
He is saying that the disciples — including we who follow Jesus today — can’t out-give God. God will bless them and us far more than anything we could ever give up for him.He forewarns that God’s abundant blessings don’t mean that followers of Jesus will have easy lives on this side of eternity — there will be persecutions.He promises eternal life. In other words, disciples’ sacrifices for their faith will be far overshadowed by the blessings they will receive from their Father in heaven.
Today’s Prayer
O Father, thank you for being so generous. I know that I will be blessed as one of your children far more than I can imagine. Help me not to lose that hope in the face of hardship, discouragement, and persecution. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Romans 8:18-25Philippians 2:5-11Hebrews 6:10Ⓒ 1996-2024 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.