Thoughts for another day

July 31, 2009

Today's verse: Mk 10:30. But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

When Jesus speaks of the difficulty a rich man has in entering the kingdom of God, Peter asks an interesting question, ‘Lo we have left all and followed Thee’ v 28 and in Mathew 19: 27, it’s extended to include, ‘what’ll be there for us’. What Peter wants to know is, the reward for those who’ve left everything for the Lord. Now Jesus understood what was in Peter’s mind and told Him that those who have left things for the Kingdom of God would receive a hundredfold in this lifetime and eternal life in the next.

Most people of God who explain this verse usually show benefits that are pleasing to us and why not - a hundred fold in the current world and eternal life thereafter; a good enough incentive to leave all and follow the Lord no? But there’s one Word which most preachers miss and that is, persecution. Look at the verse carefully and you’ll find it. Anyone wanting to sincerely follow Jesus Christ will be persecuted. In fact I’d even go to the extent to say that it’s guaranteed. When a man preaches the Gospel effectively, God works through him and when God works, people are affected and turn to Him. The devil simply doesn’t like this and employs his minions in doing harm to that man.

Don’t we see this in our environs and learn of it too as it happens? People start envying those whom God uses, even hating them. I have a good friend who was preaching in the church and was very successful in drawing a number of people for his meetings. But soon jealousy crept into his rivals and colored versions of what he was doing reached the church authorities, who then advised that he should stop preaching. The question before him was, what should he do? The answer obviously is to keep preaching and the Lord would provide new avenues, which He did. If you intend following the Lord doing His bidding, I can assure you from His Word that you will be persecuted; but even in that you will rejoice for more the persecution, more souls will be touched.