“We had left everything behind.”

Church,

In response to Peter’s overall concern of “what’s in it for me”, Christ said, “Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters 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.” (Luke 18:29-30).

This is a veiled saying as many of Christ’.

Jesus wasn’t telling anyone to abandon their family as many religions have made it to mean. He was telling the disciples the same thing that God had told Abraham when he said to “leave your household”.

The disciples, in following Christ, they have gone the way that is entirely opposite to their former cultural beliefs and norms. To their families, they had become an irreparable disgrace to their own nation for siding with someone who is speaking against the deceptions of the religious establishment. Therefore, when Peter voiced that “We have left everything to follow you”, Jesus our Lord did not understand it as simply “leaving their means to make a living”, but also leaving behind their cultural expectations and mentality.”

All that cultural expectations seek to assure is goodness, joy and peace of living. Yet, seeking those things through norms and beliefs of generations after generations have always seemed to be a never-ending quest. “Work until you die”, “Dance until you drop”, “Drink until you’re numb” are just a few or many ways that men altogether have tried to secure their joy and peace.

“Since we left ourselves behind, now what’s in it for us?”

And Christ’ answer overall is: “A new you is in it for you”, “A renewed mind is in it for you”, “A larger family of children, brothers and sisters is in it for you.”

“Those you can and will never leave behind are in it for you in this age and the age to come.” Hence, the church. We are in Christ and He is in us to never leave us. That’s what’s in it for us, given by the grace of Christ Jesus, received through faith in Christ Jesus.

Thank God that He had made us able to leave everything behind to rejoice in Christ as our portion.

Rejoice.