Luke 18:28-30 – “28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our 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 more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (ESV)
Today, our Heavenly Father wants us to know that our diligent quest to seek first His Kingdom and its righteousness will result in us being blessed on earth and also in the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Our Lord Jesus Christ had an interesting conversation with a rich ruler. After the interaction, it was evident that the rich man was so attached to his wealth that he would rather hold on to it and lose his salvation, than to let go of the riches. Jesus concluded that, it would be difficult for the rich to enter God’s Kingdom, but with God that was possible.
This conclusion shook the disciples with fear, so Peter had to find out what the reward of their sacrifice was worth. Jesus assured them that they would have multiple of all they sacrificed on earth, and also have eternal life in Heaven. Jesus is assuring us that what we sacrifice for the advancement of God’s Kingdom will return to us in multiple folds, not only in Heaven but also on earth.
In effect, if the rich man had decided to sacrifice all he had for the sake of Christ, he would have been far blessed beyond what he had and would still have gained eternal life. We all are fighting to be prosperous in life. We have a choice to make as to the approach we take in pursuing success on earth. Each approach definitely has consequences.
Precious one, we can choose to hold on tight to money that we will lose our eternal life. Or we can trust Jesus with all our dreams and possessions and at the end of the day have both blessings on earth, and also eternal life. Surrendering to God always sounds like a sacrifice but ironically, it is the best investment with multiple profits.
It doesn’t mean if you have lots of money you won’t go to Heaven. A born-again rich man who loves God more than His money will go to Heaven. The Bible doesn’t say, “…money is the root of all evil…”, it says 1 Timothy 6:10 – For THE LOVE OF MONEY IS the root of all evil…” ie; the wrong ‘association’ with money – when you LOVE YOUR MONEY than you Love God. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the Faith and distressed themselves with many pains.
I want to inspire us all today. Indeed, life in Christ is easy, and life without Christ is worse off. We may not see the benefits of our sacrifices for Jesus now, but time is the best witness that He is faithful. It is unwise to start this good investment and quit on the way. When we persist to the end, we will be filled with Divine joy and wealth. Following Jesus comes with a double package.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I have come to know that sacrificing all for the Kingdom is actually an investment. Please grant me the Grace and wisdom to press on to love thee more dearly. Prosper my loved ones and I LORD. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Question for Meditation
What are some of the blessings I expect for serving the LORD?
