The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”. When Jesus' disciples, “heard it” they “said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed you. And he said unto 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, ...”, and in chapter eighteen and verse thirty of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said they who leave these things are ones, “who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” where we read:
Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
The verse reads, “Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, ...” Luke began with the words, “who shall not receive” or “the person who leaves all to follow Jesus will even so and indeed take aside and gain” “manifold more” which means “much much more abundantly” “in this present time” or “within due measure and a fixed, definite and right time”. Luke shared how Jesus said those who “leave all” “for the Kingdom of God's sake” will even so and indeed “gain” much, much more in due time and measure.
The verse continues, “... and in the world to come life everlasting.” Luke added the words, “and in the world to come” or “and within the unbroken age to come, perpetuity of time and eternity and the future” “life everlasting” which means “the absolute fullness of life both essential and ethical which belongs to God that is without beginning and end that has been and always will be”. Luke shared how Jesus said the promise of “receiving manifold more” in the present time would also extend to the “future” eternal living.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we discover a great promise given by Jesus to His disciples. Jesus told them when they “left behind” their “belongings and family” for the “sake” of the Kingdom of God, they would receive much more in the current time and in the future. God desires to give every person “everlasting life” with Him through His Son Jesus, and when they yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they “leave behind” all their possessions as “secondary” to God's Kingdom but receive “much more” in this life and the life to come.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus, “took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem”, 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.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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