Scripture to Read: Luke 18:28-30
Jesus had just spoken, and as soon as He was done, we read this in Luke 18:28–30, “Peter said, ‘Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.’ 29 And He said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.’” Since we do not know Peter’s heart when he said this, we can only speculate that Peter might have been expressing his and the other disciples’ devotion to Christ. The problem is that his words have an element of comparison: the rich ruler kept his possessions, whereas the disciples had abandoned their former lives to follow Jesus. Becoming a Christian, though, is not about giving away all possessions or what one gives up; Christianity is about Whom we choose to follow wholeheartedly. The disciples hadn’t left things behind to create a spiritual achievement of their own, but they left them knowing Jesus had called them to Himself and to the kingdom of God. Jesus never presented sacrifice as a way to earn salvation. The disciples didn’t earn eternal life by their sacrifices. Their willingness to leave everything simply demonstrated their faith in Jesus and their commitment to God’s kingdom. Jesus also made it clear that what someone may leave behind to know and follow Jesus is nothing compared to what they gain through their relationship with Christ and all of God’s family.
Challenge & Application
When our Lord called you to know and follow Him, what did you leave behind to wholeheartedly follow the Lord?
How have you seen our Lord bless you in your walk with Him since following Him as Lord and Savior?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!