

Mark 10:23a, 24b-31 - And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ... "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." Peter began to say to Him, "See, 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 lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Poor Peter! He's clearly worried about what Jesus has just said about how hard it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. Peter is thinking, "What about me?" And so he says to Jesus, "See, we have left everything and followed You." I think he's hoping for some kind of reassurance. And he gets it—but it's not exactly what he was hoping for!
Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life." His main point is utterly serious—those who put Jesus first will certainly have eternal life. That's the whole reason Jesus came into this world—to live and to suffer and to die and to rise again, so that everyone who trusts in Him may live forever (see John 3:16). So Peter doesn't have to worry, and neither do we. We are safe in Jesus' hands.
But there's more to Jesus' promise than just eternal life. Have we lost family, home, property? Even in this life, He says, we will get a hundredfold back—"with persecutions"! I love how He just casually slips that in, among the list of blessings we can expect. And He's right, isn't He?
Because if you belong to Jesus, you end up doing His work—serving Him by serving people, even if you can only pray. This will bring you suffering, yes, because that goes naturally with being a disciple. As Jesus told us, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master" (Matthew 10:24). But it also brings you new family—people God brings into your life to care for, people you never would have chosen—but they're yours to love, now.
Maybe it's not so bad after all. These are blessings—because they come to us because we belong to Jesus. And what could be better than that?
WE PRAY: Lord, open my eyes to see the blessings You have given me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. When have you had trouble or difficulties because you belong to Jesus?
2. Have you ever seen a challenge turn into a blessing? When?
3. Who has God sent into your life for you to care for? Pray for them now.
Today's Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 35 Habakkuk 1-3 Acts 25
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