Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible”, and in chapter nineteen and verse twenty-seven of his book, Matthew shares how Peter said to Jesus, “we have forsaken all” where we read:
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed you;
what shall we have therefore?
The verse reads, “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed you;”. Matthew began with the words, “then answered” or “at that time and moment responded” “Peter” which refers to “one of Jesus' disciples whose name means rock or stone” “and said unto him” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed to Jesus” “behold” or “lo and see”, “we have forsaken all” which means “the disciples of Jesus have yielded up, disregarded, let go of and departed from each, every, the whole and everything”, “and followed you” or “and joined themselves to, sided with, accompanied and became Jesus' disciples”. Matthew shared how Peter told Jesus he and the other disciples departed from “everything” they possessed to be His disciples.
The verse goes on to say, “what shall we have therefore?” Matthew continued with the words, “what shall we have” or “what thing shall he and the other disciples receive, obtain and acquire” “therefore” which means “because the disciples left everything for Jesus”? Matthew wrote how Peter questioned what he and the other disciples would receive because they left everything they possessed to “follow” Him.
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Peter wanted to know what he and the other disciples would “gain” because they left “everything” to become His disciples. In other words, “what's in it for us?” which is a typical question for most people when they believe they have sacrificed for a cause. Jesus Christ gave up His all to pay the price for the sins of man, (“For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 and “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9), and when a person surrenders their life to Him, He not only promises them “everlasting life” but also “age abiding life” in this world as well.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus began to answer Peter with the words, “in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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