Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’Today's passage is the end portion of what we read on Tuesday about the rich young man unwilling to give everything to follow Jesus. If you need a recap some rich guy asks Jesus how to get to heaven and the reply is give up everything. If you're perplexed it's okay because Tuesday's passage was from Matthew 19 and today's is from Mark 10. It's the same story told a little differently, but with basically the same message.
Continuing the thought found in both stories the disciples are perplexed, or astounded as Mark puts it, at Jesus' comment on the rich having a difficult time getting into the kingdom of God. So Peter, supposedly needing clarification about where the disciples stand in this, rebuts Jesus by saying, "Hey, look here, we've given up everything." It's in what Jesus does not say I find today's message.
Jesus never agrees with Peter nor validates Peter's claim that they have given up everything. Instead he simply states that if indeed you have given up everything then your rewards will be great. This is a Jesus who, in my point of view, shows great discipline in not being judgmental. He neither argues the point further, nor does he agree or disagree. Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples that if in fact one has given up everything dear and close to them in the name of spreading the Gospel then they will receive even more of that which they've given up in a life eternal.
But, wait, Jesus isn't done. He gets in one last comment before the story moves on; the first will be last and the last will be first. In the context of this story as I read it today, and in looking forward to what happens next in verses 35-45 I see that Jesus knows the disciples still don't get it. Jesus somehow sees that the concern Peter is voicing is that which we voice today, "What's in it for me?" We've become a society bent on acquiring things which build our personal wealth. We live in the culture of people crying out, "Hey, what about me? Look, I've done everything I'm supposed to, so what do I get?"
As I sigh heavily in the writing of those words my heart suddenly grows weary in the knowledge that we have forgotten to do more for those around us than for our self. We are too focused on becoming first and finding ways to achieve that no matter the cost. We would rather sacrifice the well being of others than sacrifice our own. Jesus helps us to put things in priority, if we only pay attention. What we accumulate in this world has no meaning unless we use it to better the lives of those who need it. Reach out to the poor, feed the hungry, house the orphan and the widow, visit people in the prisons, clothe the naked, and do not judge.
All that is asked is you do these things to the best of your abilities with the gifts God has given you.
Simple? We'll see.
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