Mark 10:23-31English Standard Version (ESV)
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 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 hundredfoldnow in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands,with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Accompanying John MacArthur sermon: God's Perspective on Material WealthAccompanying David Legge sermon: Rich But Wretched
Accompanying Robert Rayburn sermon: A Prosperity Gospel?
Rayburn:
those who take their stand on their riches or like worldly pleasures and possessions will in the end have nothing, while those who forsake everything to follow Jesus will not only be compensated for their losses but granted immeasurably greater things both in this world and the world to come. The kingdom of God takes from its citizens many things they are tempted to want to keep, but promises in return riches they can scarcely imagine.
What type riches and blessings can we expect? Is this a prosperity gospel? No, not at all. Over and over in both the OT and the NT it is made clear that Christians are not immune to suffering, and in fact, will likely suffer because we are Christians. But, we will also be blessed because we are His followers - and those blessings will make our sufferings pale in comparison.
So, what are the blessings? They are spiritual.
To know God himself, the living God, the Almighty; to know him, for him to call you by name and to make you his child, to have him as your father in heaven; to have his Word to guide your steps through this dark world, to have the Holy Spirit accompany you every step of the way through this vale of tears, to know the fellowship of the saints, the joy of salvation, to be assured of the forgiveness of your sins; to have the satisfaction, the impossibly great satisfaction of living for the highest conceivable purposes, to be able to face death without fear, to know that God is pledged to your children and he is to yourself; I say, these are blessings compared to which a hundred actual fields are just so much fuss and bother.
Monday's scripture focus: Mark 10:32-34
Sunday's passage: Jeremiah 47-48
Monday's passage: Jeremiah 49-50, Ecclesiastes 12, Hebrews 10
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