Mark 10:28-31-- The Biggest Gamble

Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first."

All the disciples are uncomfortable with the conversation they have been having with Jesus.  They found out that it is difficult—almost impossible for rich people—to be saved.  And that everyone must sell their possessions and give to the poor.  Peter then personalizes the issue Jesus brought up—“Well, Lord, we haven’t sold everything we had.  So we haven’t obeyed you in this way.  But we want to be saved.  And we have left everything we had in order to follow you—is that enough?”  

Jesus replies in the affirmative and speaks of what those have given up will gain.  Those who have given up things for the sake of Jesus includes those who have left their living spaces for Jesus, those who have left their family for him, and those who have quit their jobs or their inherited land.  

They who give up these things for Jesus, or for the message of Jesus—specifically the message that the kingdom is coming and everyone needs to prepare for the next age—will gain the following things:  First of all, they will gain more houses.  In Mark 6:10-11, the disciples of Jesus who are proclaiming Jesus’ message will find other houses to live in.  Secondly, they will gain additional family—many, many more family members.  In Mark 3:33-35 this family are those who are disciples of Jesus, who are obeying God’s word.  

Also, Jesus says, they will gain persecutions.  In Mark 13:9-13  Jesus says that those who are disciples of Jesus will gain terrible trials and suffering before the end.  But, Jesus says, in the end, they will gain eternal life.  Jesus is presenting a very different idea of gaining God’s blessing—he is saying that one must surrender everything he or she has—his whole life—and then receive only what God provides, including persecution from those who do not understand God’s ways.  Only when one gives up on this age will the next age be open to them.  This goes hand-in-hand with Jesus’ teaching on the cross (Mark 8:34-38), and his own passion that he prophesied is soon coming (Mark 8:31).

In following Jesus, our whole value system turns upside down:
We surrender what is most important to us to gain the unseen.
We obtain resources we would have never thought possible.

We rejoice in the suffering that makes our lives difficult.

But if we do not surrender, we cannot enter.
If we don't share, we gain nothing from others.
If we avoid suffering, we never gain the benefits.

Following Jesus is taking the biggest gamble, for the greatest reward.

"Dear God, I am so afraid to open my clenched fists!
Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to?
Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?
Please help me to gradually open my hands
and to discover that I am not what I own,
but what you want to give me.
And what you want to give me is love,unconditional, everlasting love."

-Henri Nouwen