Breaking the Word

Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and (the) last will be first." (Mk 10:28-31)

Jesus had many followers. There were those who followed him but still holding on to their wealth, relatives and other things. There were still others who left certain things but holding on to certain other things and followed him. But there were few who left everything to follow Jesus.

Reward and honour are given to only those who give up properties, relations and possessions for the sake of Jesus and his Gospel. Interestingly what is given up is given back a hundredfold. It only goes to say that there is no real giving up on this earth. Man will always possess material thing and will have human relations.

Extra rewards are the ones that have to be considered. They are persecutions and eternal life. Persecutions on this earth and eternal life in the next. To be a follower of Jesus on this earth necessarily mean persecutions on this earth. The world is after material wealth and human relations and naturally giving up of these are contrary to the world. Every time when one rejects these and rewarded back a hundredfold then there is suffering for the one who gives up. But persecution is for following Jesus and his gospel. The real reward and the only reward is eternal life that is a gift that is given by God.

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.'" He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to (the) poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through (the) eye of (a) needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."  (Mk 10:17-27)

No one is good except God alone. In the creation stories we read in the book of Genesis that when Go created the world he found it good. Every day after creation he found his creation to be good. But here Jesus says that no one is good except God alone. By this Jesus says that goodness is not a quality of man or of any creature. But goodness is the basic quality of God and the creatures get their goodness only from God. God is the source of all goodness. That is why he says God alone is good.

Jesus looked at the young man and loved him. He loved him for his sincerity and truthfulness. The young man meant what he said. He was pious man and observed all the commandments of God. Does Jesus mean by this that youth in general are not very observant of the rules? I do not think so. Probably Jesus meant to say that it is enough that you are young for me to love you. Because, the young man has all the possibilities and potentials to reach the highest goal (God). Only material wealth can prevent him.

"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Salvation is a gift of God. It cannot be acquired by man by his knowledge, talents, and hard work. It is totally a gratuitous gift of God.