Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up
house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or
lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not
receive a hundred times more…” Mark 10:29–30
Jesus’ statement above is in response to Peter who said to Him, “We
have given up everything and followed you.” It was as if Peter were
patting himself on the back, attempting to highlight just how much
he and the other disciples had sacrificed to follow Jesus. And it
was true, they did give up everything of their former life. They
left home, their occupation, their relationships and everything
that had been part of their daily established life in response to
the call of Jesus. They were truly all in.
In hearing this statement from Peter, Jesus does not give the
expected response. He doesn’t say to Peter, “Yes, you have, that’s
very impressive Peter. Good job and thank you!” Instead, Jesus
immediately explains to Peter that the sacrifice he and the others
have made is worth it. Their unwavering commitment to follow Jesus
would be repaid with gifts beyond their imagination. Thus, Jesus
was saying that the gifts that He would bestow upon them would be
exponentially greater than every sacrifice they made.
This was not a belittling of Peter’s self-sacrifice; rather, it was
a form of encouragement by Jesus. He was encouraging Peter, and the
other disciples, to have full confidence in their decision to
follow Him. Their sacrifice would yield a hundredfold return. That
is truly a good investment.
It can be tempting for us all, at times, to feel as though God asks
too much of us. It’s true that God asks much of us. He asks
everything from us. He asks for the complete and total gift of our
lives to Him. He calls us to abandon all selfishness and to
dedicate ourselves to His holy will without exception. But if we
understand the reward of our self-giving, then the sacrifices we
make will pale in comparison to the reward.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you can say those words with
the Apostle, Saint Peter: “Lord, I have given up everything to
follow You.” Have you truly given your life completely to Christ
Jesus? Are there things that you still hold back, not wanting to
“sacrifice” for our Lord? Ponder those words of Peter and allow
yourself to see the areas of your life you still need to surrender
over to Jesus. And as you do so, allow the reward promised by our
Lord to motivate you to the point that you truly hold nothing back
and truly have given up everything to follow His holy will.
My generous Lord, You ask everything of me. You ask me to
abandon everything in my pursuit of Your perfect will. Give me the
grace I need to answer Your call and to live sacrificially for You
without counting the cost. You are generous beyond description,
dear Lord, and I trust that following You will produce an abundance
of good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: Jesus entrusts his Flock to St Peter,
via flickr
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