Josh wrote: ↑Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:57 am
Freedom from sin and the hope of salvation seems worth 100 fold anything I left behind in the world.
I left behind alcohol which gave me hangovers, bitterness and offence, feeling angry, and empty relationships and ended up having a Christian home with children which seems worth more than 100 fold.
One point that especially caught my attention was that after Jesus said this, He followed it with an answer to those who regarded it as something impossible. Luke 18:26-27
Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
So, this says to me that even a rich person can enter heaven and it got me thinking about Job in the OT where Job ended up a very wealthy man in material goods. Job 42:10
And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
I suspect, though, that this verse might be used by some of the 'health and wealth preachers' today to justify their fortunes. However, I wonder how many of them could endure the tests that satan put Job through.
Another thing to look at is the fact that Jesus says that those who have left houses, family, lands, for his sake and the gospels, would receive 100 fold back - similar to Job - and notably, he says that this 100 fold return is not something that will only take place in heaven,but in this life.
For example, the very next verses in Luke 18:28-30: 28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
And also the parallel passage in Mark 10:28-30: 28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
So is this hyperbole? If not, how would anyone know if what they have is the 100 fold that Jesus promised in this life, or if it is merely the same manner of possessions that the wicked have? I'd suppose that would depend on if they first gave up houses and lands and family for Jesus sake and the gospels. If one has not done that, then one could hardly claim that what one has in terms of land and houses and family is part of the promised "100 fold".
Some other interesting things in this text. The Luke version in verse 30 does not repeat the things mentioned in verse 29 whereas the Mark version does. Also these do not use the word 'and' but rather 'or'. I think the prosperity preachers would favour the Mark version. As one prosperity preacher said -
“Give $10 and receive $1000; give $1000 and receive $100,000. … how tremendous the hundredfold return is … Give one house and receive a hundred houses — or one house worth 100 times as much! Give one airplane and receive 100 times the value of the airplane. Give one car and the return would furnish you a lifetime of cars. In short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal.”
Also Luke leaves out the 'with persecutions' statement.
