²⁹ 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,³⁰ 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.

1) Do I have to leave my children to follow Jesus?
Isolating these verses would certainly make it seem that Jesus is teaching us to abandon all relationships and possessions, but we know from the context of this chapter that, Jesus had just reinforced the extreme importance of relationships between parents, spouses, and children. Context is key to understanding, but cross-references can also help us dig deeper into tough passages. These verses are similarly spoken in Luke 14:24-27, where Jesus is talking about the cost of being His disciple. The emphasis in both Mark and Luke is the gospel. In essence, Jesus is asking, “what will you do for the gospel?” What will come first?

2) What does “now in this time” and “receive a hundredfold” refer to?
Jesus is teaching that whatever will be lost per the cost of following Him, will be more than made up for in what is to be gained. Deeper relationships are found in Christ, fuller abundance in life is received when Jesus is first and the gospel is our center. Committing our lives to Jesus will cost us, but the return is not even worth comparing, both in this life and in the one to come. True, we may lose material possessions or even relationships because we are choosing Jesus, but the pure sweetness of knowing Christ fuller and deeper and walking in community with other believers is worth much more than our losses.

3) Will believers be persecuted in the age to come also?
Definitely not! The phrase, “and in the age to come eternal life” refers to what the disciple will continue receiving. Inheritance and abundance that outweigh our loss begins in this life, but is brought to full fruition “in the age to come” (i.e. “eternal life”).

1) Do I have to leave my children to follow Jesus?
While Jesus does call us to live bravely for the gospel, not fearing people or trying to satisfy our pleasures before loving Jesus, these words are not a blank check to put “ministry” above relationships. “Ministry” is not the gospel. The gospel calls us to die to ourselves every day, allowing the Spirit to make us alive for His purposes, which is the crux of this teaching. If we are putting anything before our relationship with Jesus Christ, like parents, possessions, spouses, children, emotions, or relationships, then we have usurped God’s position and crafted an idol that we are now willing to worship in place of the Lord God! Only when Jesus is our everything can true balance and a life of fruitful richness be enjoyed. Hold onto the truth of who God is first, then everything else will fall into place. (seek first verse)

2) What does “now in this time” and “receive a hundredfold” refer to?
True discipleship costs something. Pause and consider….what has following Jesus cost you? Time? Money? Relationships? Career? Position? Friends? Or perhaps your decision to choose Christ hasn’t cost you anything, or very little. Maybe those around you don’t even know you’ve committed your everything to Christ. Does your life look that much different than your unbelieving neighbors? Does your Facebook page reflect beliefs that align with the Bible? Do your words and your actions mirror Jesus’ love, even when it costs you something? If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough true evidence to convict you? What “wealth” are you holding onto, like the Rich Young Ruler in the passage, that you feel isn’t worth the cost of following the Lord?

3) Will believers be persecuted in the age to come also?
For me, who had a difficult childhood, I automatically think that this life will be wrought with difficulty after difficulty for following Jesus and I often miss out on recognizing all the sweetness that is granted because I’ve chosen Jesus as my Savior. Paul speaks in Ephesians of the deep comfort and encouragement that comes from being sealed by the Spirit and walking in fellowship with other believers. Their truly is rich abundance in being found in Christ today and now! I challenge you, as I have myself, to go through your day and make an actual numbered list of the wonders and treasures that are yours because of Jesus! Opening our eyes to see the riches around ushers us into deeper intimacy with the Lord because we see Him more clearly as the very good Father that He is! Plus, it’s a really great way to hold onto truth instead of the sway of our emotions!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Flourishing!