Wednesday: What’s in it for Us?
Right after the incident with the rich ruler, what happens?
“Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?’” (Matt. 19:27, NKJV).
Nothing in the text says what prompted this question, but it could easily be in direct response to the rich man’s departure from Jesus.
Image © Ron Bell from GoodSalt.com
Peter seemed to be implying that, unlike this man and others who either rejected Jesus or stayed with Him a while and then left, he and the other disciples had left all for Him. They were remaining faithful to Him, even at great personal cost. Thus, the question is, What’s in it for us?
From our perspective today, we might see this question as another indication of how hard-hearted and spiritually dense the disciples were (and, to some degree, that’s true). On the other hand, why not ask a question like Peter’s? Why shouldn’t he wonder what he would get by following Jesus?
After all, life here is hard, even for those who have it the best. We are all subject to the traumas, the disappointments, the pain of our fallen existence. In the 1800s an Italian intellectual named Giacomo Leopardi wrote about the overriding unhappiness of human beings, saying that “as long as man feels life, he also feels displeasure and pain.”
Life is often a struggle, and the good in this world doesn’t always even out with the bad. So Peter’s question makes perfect sense.Because life is hard, what advantage comes to us from following Jesus? What should we expect from making the kind of commitment that Jesus asked of us?
How did Jesus respond to the question? (See Matt. 19:28-20:16.)
Notice, Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for selfishness or the like. He gave him first a very straightforward answer and then the parable regarding the workers and their wages. Though over the centuries a great deal of discussion has ensued over the meaning of the parable, the basic point is clear: you will get from Jesus what He has promised us.
| If someone were to ask you, “What will I get by serving Jesus?” what would you answer? |
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To serve jesus is to understand jesus is healer
Following Jesus guarantees you inner peace and eternal life when Jesus Christ comes again .
It is a privilege and a joy to serve Jesus , i have the blessed hope to meet Him face to face. Oh, i am waiting to be with Him for 1000 years, what a vacation!
Yes!! Amen come Lord Jesus.
I would receive life eternal, happiness, joy, peace, love,, and the many other things that this life cannot offer. There is a mansion prepared for me, living in God's prsence is just awesome.
I have found a peace and an incredible joy for following my savior. If anyone ask me ". What will I get from following Jesus? My answer will be true happiness, peace, joy and the promise of eternal life.
According to the last quiz in the lesson, following Jesus is like calling for problems. Satan is not happy when someone decides to follow christ. And in that, if u persist to the end, u will get reward in heaven. For instance in last week's lesson we saw Jesus being encouraged by Moses and Elijah. In that we are sure that there is reward in heaven coz Moses died while leadng israelites and yet we saw him there. So my dear breathren lets be Jesus' follower knowing that we have a reward at the end.
I will simply say, 'I want to be with Jesus In Paradise some day.'
The parable of the workers in the vineyard teaches that it is the goodness of God that "rewards" us and not compensation for our work. Also, the spirit with which we serve is more important than the length and difficulty of our service.
What will we get by serving Jesus?
We receive a whole new outlook on life--a new heart.
The joy of growing in His love
deep soul searching love
glimpses of the heights of His love
His wonderful self sacrificing, longing love
guarding, guiding, watching, wooing, warning love
one that will culminate in sharing our lives together forever.
By asking the question, Peter expressed the uncertainty of the future, and his own needs. Jesus knows our needs, yet he does not reveal our future. He knows our character yet to reveal our future would remove our sence of choice, our freewill. Can we have assurance while still knowing we will fail? That was Peters dilemma, and may be ours. Jesus gave him assurance despite his failures, but hinged upon his faith. So with us, to hang on and enjoy the vineyard is more important than the lust for wealth or popularity that comes from working. 'Occupy till I come' us not equivalent with building bigger barns.
Elaine, totally agree. We get so much more than we give! No one else can love us, each one, so passionately and unconditionally. He loves us so much that He wants to spend every moment with us and guide us through this life - so amazing. And with a sense of humor He shows us the goofiness of our foibles! He only asks of us to stay connected and follow His lead. How can we not adore Him!
Peace, the re-union of my family, my dear mother,two sons my husband and my two brothers. The joy of knowing there will be no more dying, and pain. We will live forever more, and just to think of the tour we will have and the many questions that has perplexed our minds will now be answered.It will be the most exciting long everlasting vacation, I have ever taken, and the price was paid before I was even born. It cannot get any better than that.
my answer would simply be - everlasting life. What a joy!!
The Christian life (which includes humility and meekness,) makes life so much better than the Non-Christian life. Christianity avoids so many problems!
"...the way of transgressors is hard." (Prov 13:15)
Too often Satan's path is made to look attractive! Too often our selfish plans make us feel glad at the prospect of happiness and enjoyment, but EVERY plan centered in self falls short of the alluring hopes.
But a life based on love, is better than a life based on pride and anger; house and belongings.
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Jesus also talks about things that bring His people an "open" reward. (Matt 6:4,6,18.) I suggest that the "open" rewards are not only for the future, immortal, life. They are given in this life too. Doing "alms" in secret brings an "open" reward. Private prayer brings an "open" reward too. The reward that God gives - the reward which cannot be hidden - is primarily the effect that He works on our characters. (Little by little He gives us His glory - His character!)
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Luke 18:29-30
"And He said to them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold MORE IN THIS PRESENT TIME, and in the world to come life everlasting."
AMEN!
The Luke 18:30 thought about receiving "many times more in this present time", is one of the "prosperity gospel" texts. But getting "many times more" does not necessarily mean that if we give up something for Jesus' sake, we will be 'reimbursed'in like manner, does it? (For example if our property is confiscated because of our religion, Jesus does not mean that we will receive "more" earthly property than we originally had, does He?)
Of course External life PTL! However at the same time I'd be realistic with them. It will be a struggle to let go of self , our will is strong..but to hold on trust and have faith that Jesus will get u to the end!Cause Jesus promises and His word is one u can count on!!! Amen ?
What will I get by serving Jesus? Well, I already seen His miracles in my life, I have seen his blessings and I can feel His peace and joy by reading His word. He already offered the Eternal Life and its there for you and me to accept it. Our hope is to see Him face to face. My favourite song is 206.
Was the answer to the question, the same type that Peter gave? I don't think so. Peter was talking to Jesus much the same as before. His answer "see", Peter wanted approval of the effort that had already been made. Much like the rich young ruler. Both were mistaken due to unexpected circumstances.
Jesus gives us peace. That is more valuable than riches. Sure, He may give riches or health or power to some, but He gives peace to all.
Jesus is the King,who really love me left his kingdom died in the cross ,suffering great pain to save me .Without Jesus I am nothing .This air I breath belong to him ,everything I use in this world belong to the creator . I get life now and life eternal in serving my savior.
For giving up all my "trash" and eternal destruction ( as I will see it later), I get eternal life with Jesus and my family and friends that love me with the Love of God. I get to be an heir with Jesus to sit in judgment on a throne for a thousand years. He has promised the Earth made new for eternity with total security and fulfillment. I get life now worth living because I have chosen God to be my employer. He has promised to instruct me and to support me and finish the work of building His perfect character of Love in me.
He has already given me love, joy, peace, life, all I have needed to live, ways to be fruitful in helping others, a loving wife and family, absolute security in this life and beyond, etc., etc. much more! Why would I not want to choose to give my trash of a selfishly motivated life for so much more.
But selfishness doesn't fit in this experience. When I allow my selfishness to rule, I separate myself from all this. It be hooves me to continually choose to let God's Spirit be the only primary motivator of my life. "Watch and pray." Don't fall into "natural" (selfishness) mode and loose Jesus. Be aware and walk with God always by choosing to give permission for the character of God to be built in you.
my answer would be eternal life. Life is all what each one of us wants, no one wants to die, we want to live forever and that can only come true when we follow Jesus.
what a joy to be near to Jesus
I got joy since Jesus came into my heart
We will get from Jesus what He has promised us. In Jesus we find: Forgiveness, Grace, Salvation, Redemption, Sanctification, Righteousness (which is His robe required to enter into the kingdom of Heaven); finally Glorification.
Finally Jesus gave us a promise in Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." And if we love Him, we will keep His commandments which is punctuated with "Loving God with all our heart, mind and strength and loving our fellowman as ourselves.
Brothers and sisters, stay connected to Jesus: Abiding in Christ always means we a constantly receiving of "The Holy Spirit." "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will *ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." -(John 15:7). Take Jesus with you wherever you for He is your Shelter always.
Haleluya
I'm happy to have Jesus,he is our friend everything we neen,I want to tell the world about Jesus his love endures for ever
Jesus love is unconditionally,
One day young Sally saw a beautiful fluffy white kitten with bright blue eyes at her friend. She really wanted one of her own.
The next day as Dad was shaving and getting ready for work, Sally came and asked "Daddy, can I have a fluffy white kitty with blue eyes?"
Dad, after thinking for a moment said "Sally, you could never have a fluffy white kitty with blue eyes because your bedroom is so untidy that it would get lost". Sally thought about this for a minute, then disappeared.
As Dad was heading for the door, Sally quickly grabbed him by the hand and took him to see her room, which was uncharacteristically spotless and tidy. She then asked again, "Daddy, can I have a fluffy white kitty with blue eyes?"
Again, after a moments though Dad asked "Sally, did you tidy your room because you want a fluffy white kitty with blue eyes, or did you tidy your room because you love me?"
Sally replied "Because I want.... Because I love you Daddy!"
We can chuckle at that short story. But the thought behind it is this, do we want to go to heaven because we will live forever in a beautiful mansion, or do we want to go to heaven to be with Jesus - because we love him?
How can I truly love Him when it is not naturally in me to do so?
Hi Don.
That is an excellent question because it goes right to the heart of the matter.
The answer is the same as to how you become friends with and love anyone else. You spend time talking to them, listening to them, and doing things together. It is no different with Jesus.
One of the unusual things about Jesus though is that he is so accepting. You need to do nothing to make him love you more, and nothing you do or can do can make him love you less. Which means that he is and always will be there for you.
One of the simpler ways to know more of what Jesus is like, is to look at people around you and take all of their good, loving and kind traits and put them together because all those traits come from God. It is some part of what he is like.
By the same token you can take all the bad traits, the evil deeds, violence, death, murder, hate and destruction around you and you know what Satan is like. They are all some part of what he is like.
Because Jesus is your true friend, you can always take everything to him, even the hard things like how you find it difficult to love him and difficult to know him and the questions, anger, disappointments and struggles you face. When you do that you are talking to him, and if you read your bible he will talk to you through it, just as the bible taught and spoke to Jesus when he read it.
And lastly, if you want to spend time and go places together, you do not have to travel to Israel and visit the places he visited. Instead you will find his footsteps where they have always been, beside the beds of the sick, the poor, the hungry and the lonely. He receives any good done to them as done personally to him.
So the harder you find it to love Jesus the harder you must fight to spend time with him, because the more you spend time with him the more he will change you.