Mark 10: 28-31

 Peter realized.. perhaps for the first time that day.. that he and his fellow disciples had done  what the rich young ruler could not.. "Behold we have left everything and followed you.. "   They left family... jobs.. homes.. to follow Jesus.  

It is here I would love to hear Peter's tone of voice.. What was his meaning?  Was it like.. well that guy didn't leave everything but we did..  What about us?

Jesus answers the unspoken question.. " Truly I say to you there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. " 

Here is a promise that Jesus will keep.. to every missionary who has  traveled to another country, leaving family behind.. .. to every believer who is separated willingly or unwillingly from those he loves because he loves Jesus more.. .. to all who leave jobs because of moral and ethical practices that don't honor Jesus. Jesus says he will provide.. " a hundred times more".  

We don't know what happened in the lives of the apostles after the book of Acts. But, we know that they started churches and traveled the world telling others about Jesus. How many new brothers and sisters in Christ did they come to know and love and serve?  They received 3000 new brothers and sisters on the day of Pentecost!  Read any of Paul's books and notice name after name of people that he came to love and consider "family". And all  of them are living now.. eternally in the "house" of God! 

I, personally, have not left behind my family to follow Jesus.. for many of my family members also follow Jesus.. Thank the Lord!  But.. I saw first hand the sacrifice that two of my brothers and one of my sisters made as they left America to serve Jesus in a foreign land.  Back before the days of FaceTime and email.. when a letter took months and we only saw them every 4 years or so.  The promise of Jesus is for them.. and I think they would say that it has been fulfilled for them.. they have brothers and sisters in Christ from across the ocean that will join them in their eternal home one day. Praise the Lord !

Father, lead us to follow You and trust You to fulfill every promise that is in Jesus. Thank You Lord! Amen