The Riches of Poverty (or, Kingdom
Blessings)
Mark 10:28-31
Introduction: What
does it mean to follow Jesus? The Lord has cautioned would-be followers to
count the cost of discipleship. Scholars are fairly convinced that Mark is
writing his gospel to Roman Christians who are experiencing persecution. What
we know about the brutality of Nero makes it clear that believers there were
experiencing cruel and barbaric treatment at his hands. They knew there was
a cost to discipleship – they were seeing and experiencing some of that every
day. During this final trip to Jerusalem, Jesus has been teaching His disciples
about the cost of discipleship, but they seem a little slow to grasp what he is
saying. Even as He explicitly told them in chapter 8 and chapter nine about His
approaching rejection and death (along with the promise of His resurrection),
they seem incapable grasping the plain sense of His words. It was too much of a
contradiction it seems—the Messiah was to be a deliverer, a savior, how could
His revealing end in death? It didn’t add up. It’s like Jesus is saying
“laurel” and all they can hear is “yanni.” (Ok, maybe it’s not exactly
like that!). They couldn’t yet understand, but they will, in time. But now Jesus
balances the “theology of suffering” by inviting the disciples to consider the already/not
yet kingdom blessings that come to those who follow Him.
What you might leave behind when you
follow Jesus is real and could be difficult or even painful. In our context in
Mark, for the Rich Young Ruler, it was too high a price when Jesus exposed his
love for his possessions. The disciples knew only in part what it would cost
them to follow Jesus. They had left their livelihood, the close connections
with families and friends, but, even though they had been warned by Jesus, they
didn’t know what still lay ahead, in terms of persecution, suffering, exile,
and even martyrdom.
The Context: The departure of the rich, young
ruler gave Jesus opportunity to warn against the idolatry of materialism.
The Maine* Idea: The high cost of discipleship pales in comparison to the blessings that
are, and will be ours, as kingdom citizens. We’ll look at this from three
perspectives: 1) Consider the Cost (28); 2) Count the Blessings
(29-30); and 3) Christ our example (31).
I. Consider the
Cost: There is a
cost to consider if we would follow Jesus (28).
“Peter began to say to
him, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you.’”
As we have been
working our way through Mark’s Gospel, he has selectively chosen events and
teachings from the life of Jesus to answer for us three life changing
questions: 1) Who is Jesus; 2) Why did He come; and 3) What does it mean to
follow Him? In this section,
chapters 8-10, the third question has come front and center as Mark draws out
aspects of discipleship. The rich, young
ruler rejected the call to follow Jesus, unwilling to come to Him on His terms.
Look back a few
verses in Mark to set the context of Peter’s statement. The young man who came
and knelt before Jesus, asking about what He yet lacked, was unable to cope
with the answer Jesus gave him. He was devastated when, with a single
requirement, Jesus exposed the idol that had grown in his heart: “Sell all that you own and give it to the
poor, and come, follow me…” He had great possessions, give it all up? He
went away, despondent, saddened, because he knew, at least at that moment, he
was unwilling to trust Jesus and to let go of what he probably didn’t realize
until that moment had enslaved him. The cost was too high.
One of the
most difficult things for us when we accepted the call to go to Brazil was the
prospect of separation from our extended family. For us the cost of
international flights was high and we realized that it would likely be years
between times when we saw some of our family again—if ever. I had, taped in the
front cover of my Bible, this quote from Max Lucado’s book, No Wonder They Call Him the Savior. It
refers to times when it may be necessary to leave for the sake of Christ
and the Gospel, as when missionaries are sent to a foreign field (as was
Lucado!)…
It seems that goodbye is a word all too
prevalent in the Christian’s vocabulary. Missionaries know it well. Those who
send them know it too. The doctor who leaves the city to work in the jungle
hospital has said it. So has the translator who lives far from home. Those who
feed the hungry, those who teach the lost, those who help the poor all know the
word goodbye.
Airports. Luggage. Embraces. Tail-lights. “Wave to Grandma.” Tears. Bus
terminals. Ship docks. “Good-bye Daddy.” Tight throats, ticket counters. Misty
eyes. “Write me!”
Question: What kind of God would put people through such agony? What
kind of God would give you families and then ask you to leave them? What kind
of God would give you friends and then ask you to say goodbye?
Answer: A God who knows that the deepest love is build not on passion
and romance but on a common mission and sacrifice.
Answer: A God who knows that we are only pilgrims and that eternity is
so close that any “Goodbye” is in reality, “See you tomorrow.”
Answer: A
God who did it Himself.
Separation was
something we experienced being thousands of miles from family. Our first term
in Brazil wound up being five years for practical reasons. The hardest part
wasn’t language learning or fitting into a new culture. For us the hardest part
was being so far away from family. It is no doubt harder still for people who
are rejected by their family when they recognize who Jesus is and choose to
follow Him. For Muslims or Orthodox Jews, it might mean being considered “dead”
to the family, complete rejection. In certain countries and cultures the cost might
be still higher, even their lives. There will be a cost to following Jesus
(John 16:33).
Peter, on seeing
the departure of the young man and hearing Jesus’ teaching about the poverty of
riches, responds to Jesus’ words. Mark says that “Peter began to answer and said to Him…” Again, as often has been
the case, Peter is the spokesman for the group, he is the one who speaks up. (Remember,
according to tradition, Mark is writing his gospel based on the reminiscences
and teaching of Peter). I don’t think Peter is questioning in an argumentative
way (one translation says “Peter began to
argue with him…” but it seems to me that is reading too much into the
text). He seems to be searching for confirmation that he and his “band of
brothers” are on the right path. He essentially asks, “What about us?”
Peter says, “Look! We have let go of everything and have
followed you!” It’s like Peter is saying, “Sure that guy walked away, he
wouldn’t let go of his wealth and follow you, but here we are, we’ve left
everything behind!” It is interesting that though Peter says that, he does seem
to still have a house and a fishing boat (1:29; 3:9; 4:1,36; cf. John 21:3).
So, it seems, Peter hasn’t literally left everything to follow Jesus. We
know that later, after the resurrection, Peter does decide to “go fishing.” That scene in John 21 is
when they again encounter Jesus, and the Lord asks him three times, “Do you love me?” Here, Jesus doesn’t
question Peter’s statement. It reminds me of the rich young man’s declaration,
“all these things I have kept from my
youth…” Jesus didn’t challenge him on his failings, Mark tells us He loved
him.
The idea
probably is that the disciples had indeed done what Jesus had asked of
them. They had left their fishing boat
with their father and the hired hands, or left behind their tax booth or
whatever previous occupations they had, and followed Jesus, committing
themselves to learning from Him and about Him. They heard His voice, and they
followed Him. Remember a vow of poverty isn’t required of followers of Jesus. He
isn’t going to ask many of us to sell everything and give it to the poor. Money
or possessions aren’t a problem, unless they come between us and God. It’s the love
of money that is the root of all kinds of evil. He knows our hearts. Remember
Jesus asking Peter, “Do you love me more
than these?” Are we willing to love Him more than the idols that vie for
our attention? The high cost of discipleship pales in comparison to the
blessings that are, and will be ours, as kingdom citizens.
II. Count the
Blessings: Whatever we must leave behind when we
turn to the Truth in Christ, will pale in comparison to what we gain in Him
(29,30).
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.
There is unquestionably a high cost
for those who would follow Jesus. We should not minimize what Jesus himself
taught about the cost of discipleship. Sometimes, it is not that we “leave”
people behind, whether family or friends, but they leave us when we choose to
follow Jesus. It isn’t personal. The world is at enmity with God, and if God is
in us, they may withdraw… there is too much light! Jesus doesn’t minimize the
cost, nor should we. Sometimes we can be guilty of giving the impression that
once someone decides to follow Jesus, everything is going to be smooth and easy
after that. Peace and joy and love. Yes, but let’s not forget to tell them
that they are going to war! In another context Jesus said,
34 "Do not
think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring
peace, but a sword. 35 For I
have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be
those of his own household. 37
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever
loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his
cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his
life for my sake will find it… (Mt
10:34-39).
Jesus didn’t hide the truth, neither should we! But he does tell the disciples that other
side of the story. Yes, you will lose some things, even some people, in this
fallen world because the world is at enmity with God. Yes, there will be
persecutions (see Mk 10:30, “…with
persecutions…”). But you will gain a hundred times more.
First, you
become part of a new family, that is bigger and deeper than you can imagine.
You become a child of the King, and somehow, a joint heir with Jesus. As a part of that family, we have a foretaste
of the kingdom blessings that yet await us. Have you ever experienced that when
you have traveled? You visit a new city (or another country!) and meet someone
on the street or in a church, and find they are a believer in Jesus—and
immediately there is a connection, you have found a brother or a sister! That
is God’s design, after all, we have the same Father! We are children of the
King, He is Lord of the universe! A royal wedding across the pond is getting a
lot of attention these days. Think of this – you have an engraved invitation to
the marriage supper of the Lamb! We have “family blessings” now, a foretaste of
the future, and in the age to come,
eternal life.
Matthew includes
the detail that Jesus told the 12 that they would sit on thrones and judge the
twelve tribes of Israel. Paul told the Corinthians that they should be able to
handle civil matters between themselves, didn’t they know that one day they
would judge angels? Paul said to the Romans, “The suffering of this present age is not worthy to be compared to the
glory that will be revealed in [to] us…” (Rom 8:18). The high cost of
discipleship pales in comparison to the blessings that are, and will be ours,
as kingdom citizens!
III. Christ the Example: The stunning reversal in the age to
come will exalt those who have come to Christ in humility and faith (31).
[Jesus said] “But
many who are first will be last, and the last first."
In the near
context, following this event and Jesus’ third explicit teaching about His
impending betrayal, death, and resurrection, Jesus will teach again about
humility and service. We read in 10:42-45,
42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those
who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great
ones exercise authority over them. 43
But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be
your servant, 44 and whoever
would be first among you must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Christ is our example. Are we called to suffer if we follow Him? For a season,
yes. Should that surprise us? We live in a fallen world, surrounded by people
who are born sinners, in rebellion against God.
Satan himself has blinded the minds of the unbelieving. The world
rejected Jesus and put him to death. In the upper room Jesus warned the
disciples, “Don’t be surprised if the world hates you. It hated me first!” Be
assured, if we call Jesus Lord and seek to live in obedience to God’s revealed
truth, we will experience persecution at some level. We are in a spiritual
battle. In some parts of the world it could mean your life to declare your
faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. But look at what He did for us!
Ironically,
Jesus’ willing self-humiliation, His submission to the eternal plan of the
God-head, also became His vindication and exaltation. And so, in John’s Gospel,
we see the double entendre of
“lifting up” as both suffering (on the Cross) and exaltation (as His messianic
identity is confirmed, and His death becomes the means of saving a people for
himself). He came in humility as the
Suffering Servant. He will reign in power as the King of Kings. One day, at the
name of Jesus, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, that Jesus
Christ is Lord! Jesus’ victory means
hope.
Do we sometimes
wonder if God is good, and if God is all-powerful, why is there so much
injustice in the world? Why do good people suffer and the unrighteous seem to
prosper? We need to step back and see
the bigger picture. Remember the story that Jesus told of the rich man and
Lazarus? It begins…
19 "There was
a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously
every day. 20 And at his gate
was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what
fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his
sores. 22 The poor man died
and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was
buried, 23 and in Hades,
being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at
his side. 24 And he called
out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his
finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child,
remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like
manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish… (Luke
16:19-25).
Complete reversal. The first, last. The last first. We see
the same idea of reversal when we realize that eternity is at stake, and after
10,000 years the suffering of this present age will not compare to the
blessings God has for those who love Him.
What is God saying to me
in this passage? The
high cost of discipleship pales in comparison to the blessings that are, and
will be ours, as kingdom citizens.
What would God have me to do
in response to this passage? Could it be that the story of the rich, young ruler has
shined light into your own heart, and exposed some area of your life that you
are withholding from the Lord? It is not
likely that the Lord would ask you to sell all that you have and give it to the
poor, and to come and follow Him. But He does want you to follow Him, and He
will not tolerate idols, things that we are unwilling to release to Him, to
put in proper perspective, and to submit to His lordship. Hear this: Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His
righteousness, and all of these things will be added onto you! AMEN.
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