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This week we are completing our study of Chapter 18. Please read verses 18:22-43 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 18:28-30 (NIV)
‘Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no-one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”’
By and large, I work with a wonderful group of people however, there are some who for reasons that I will explain here just somehow ‘grate’ on me. The Scripture says that confession is good for the soul, so I’m baring my soul today and admitting that some people are just difficult to love! I guess I’m not alone as I’m sure that we all have work colleagues that are more challenging than others.
There are some who always seem to want to get the bosses attention whenever they do anything remotely good. If the managers aren’t in the office then you never hear a peep from these people, but as soon as a manager steps into the office, they suddenly lose their disability to work and appear to be the most active people in the whole building. They are instantly transformed into shining examples of a modern workforce and are able to speak fluently all of the phrases that the managers want to hear. Even the most mundane of tasks is elevated to the status of being vital to the success of the company and of course, they were the only ones who could have achieved such wonders. They stand arrogantly waiting for the inevitable praise being heaped on them by their superiors.
Some commentators think that Peter’s words in our verses today are similar to the colleagues I’ve mentioned earlier. They say that as the young ruler walks away sorrowful, unwilling to surrender to Jesus’ will and to follow Him, Peter then stands immediately and declares his own obedience in some kind of self-seeking praiseworthy manner. Personally, I don’t think this is true at all. Firstly, Peter doesn’t conform to the normal pattern of such people and doesn’t use the tell-tale pronoun: He never says ‘I’. The rich young ruler was a typical example when he says “All this I have done”. He is drawing attention himself by using the personal pronoun “I”. Peter doesn’t do this and chooses to speak on behalf of the group by saying “We have left all…”.
I think that Peter is just asking Jesus something that the rest of the group is thinking. In Matthew’s Gospel we read an extra statement that Peter uses that is not included in Luke’s Gospel. It says that Peter asks “What reward shall we have?”. If, because all things are possible with God, the rich COULD receive a reward a heaven, what would the disciples get having given everything to God? Perhaps Peter is thinking that it’s not fair that they’ve given up so much and yet the reward is the same.
Jesus’ answer speaks to all of His followers and not just the disciples who were there at the time. It tells us all, even to this generation, that God is no man’s debtor. When we give to God, we are to trust Him implicitly and rest in the knowledge that He is the perfect Judge. We may not receive financial recompense, but I firmly believe that we will receive much more than money. Not only in the life to come, but right here and now. At Oasis Community Church we have seen so many lives changed by the power of the Word. We have seen restoration and reconciliation in ways I’d never seen before. I am so privileged to be a part of His work here and truly am ‘Blessed beyond Measure’.
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