Leave Everything Behind! - Mark 10:28-31
Leave Everything Behind! - Mark 10:28-31
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 5, 2010 AM
In March of 2002 Petty Officer Neil Roberts, a U.S. Navy SEAL fell out of a stricken helicopter during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. According to a Pentagon report, Roberts survived the fall, and then held off Al Qaida and Taliban fighters for over 30 minutes, firing a belt-fed machine-gun. The terrorists finally overran Roberts’ position and killed him at close range, after his gun jammed. Believing that Roberts might still be alive, U.S. Special Forces mounted two rescue attempts. Six other Americans—including two airmen—died in the fighting that followed. The battle finally ended with the recovery of Roberts’ body, the evacuation of other casualties, and Air Force gunships raking the area with cannon fire. The effort to rescue Petty Officer Roberts typifies the military credo of “leave no man behind.”
In Christianity, there is a credo that has all but been forgotten in our day and age. Christians sing about it, and they often talk about it, but few of them do little about it. The credo is “Leave everything behind!” But what does it mean for the believer to leave everything behind in life? Jesus addresses this issue with his disciples in the gospel of Mark. Let’s find out what he told them and why as we rediscover the Christian credo of “Leave everything behind!”
READ: Mark 10:28-31
After Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler and his explanation to his followers, Peter is astounded as to what Jesus told them. If a rich person cannot be saved, who then can be saved, and what happens to those of us who have “left everything to follow” Jesus? Peter is guilty of doing what many folks do in our day when confronted with the Christian credo “Leave everything behind”, he wonders about what he will have to give up to follow Jesus! We discover that…
I. Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?” (v. 28)
1. You mean it isn’t all about me, Jesus! Peter’s pathetic pronounce is even more telling than the rich young man’s desperate rationalization. One was making excuses for his unwillingness and the other is trying to find out what his willingness will cost! Matthew writes that Peter continued by asking, “What then will there be for us?” Herein is the context of Peter’s question. The young man had not left his riches, but the disciples had. Peter understood what they had given up already -- homes, family, and a business. As a simple working fisherman, Peter had given up “everything to follow” Jesus. In a day where everything revolves around the individual, we find it hard to understand the notion of walking away from everything we hold dear to follow the Lord. But this is exactly what the disciples were asked to do! The Christian should never forget the cost. What do the Christian songs “I Surrender All” or “Give It All Away,” mean to the believer of our day? We love to sing them however do we really truly mean what we sing? Perhaps we would do well to sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back until Monday comes, until Monday comes!” Faith in Christ requires us to leave everything behind in order to follow him. Does this mean we turn our backs on our responsibilities? No, Jesus would never ask us to follow him irresponsibly. But it does mean that we are to be willing to turn away from the things he asks us. For some it can include leaving parents, home, a job, or that which we may treasure most. Some are quick to follow Jesus as long as he never asks them to give up what they cherish, but what we cherish may be the one idol that stands in our way of following him completely. It was for the rich young man and Peter was dangerously close. Jesus says, “Leave everything behind and follow me.” Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?”
EXAMPLE: Luke relates that as the disciples and Jesus, “were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:57-62) Jesus sounds kind of harsh here but is he, let’s find out. Years ago when Romania was under the control of Communism, Bela Karolyi coached gymnastics. He skillfully developed the talents of stars such as gold-medalist Nadia Comaneci. For his success in training athletes who were bringing fame to his Iron Curtain country, he was rewarded with an expensive car and many other favors. But Bela hungered for freedom. So one day, carrying only a small suitcase, he resolutely walked out of Romania into penniless liberty. When the fishermen Peter and Andrew heard Jesus call, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” we are told that they “immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:19-20). James and John also left their father and their livelihood to embark on a precarious life of discipleship. They knew the cost and chose to follow Jesus, leaving everything behind (vv. 21-22). Jesus desires His followers to be absorbed in one single, exclusive thought and passion—Him. Jesus tells us to “Leave everything behind.” Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?”
We may want to ignore it but we still think in the back of our minds, “What will this cost me?” as we try and follow Jesus. It is human nature and Jesus knew all about it as well. Jesus is not some cold calculating demigod that demands everything but gives nothing in return. Jesus understands the cost involved quite well because he had to be willing to give it all for us. Jesus also fully understands something we do not quite grasp when we are willing to “Leave everything behind…”
II. God gives us more than we can ever imagine! (Vv. 29-31)
1. El Roi sees your past misery, your present pain, your uncertain future! I can see Jesus stopping and solemnly looking at each of them. He then softly relates, “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” Hagar, Sarai’s abused maidservant, would understand. Running away into the wilderness because of her mistresses’ fickleness and her arrogance toward Sarai, she is completely dependent upon the Lord to protect and provide for both her and her baby boy. There in the desert, feeling the misery of her past and the uncertainty of her future, Hagar met God, who saw her and took care of her. She called him El Roi, “the one who sees me.” Jesus senses the disciple’s uncertainty. He reminds them of the truth of the situation; God will not abandon them. He sees them. If one truly leaves everything behind to follow him, he will more than provide. We fail to understand this provision of God when we run ahead of him. Christians can also fail to truly discover the blessing of allowing God to work when they try to plan it all out for him. We can begin to think our likes and desires are what God likes and desires for our lives, without ever asking him or waiting for a definitive answer. Jesus had definitely called Peter and the others. Their lives had been and would be totally changed. Families would be replaced with brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers in the Lord. Homes and fields were replaced with ministry and mission fields. Yet the warning was clear, there would also be persecutions. Those who leave everything behind for Jesus will face persecution for their willingness to follow him, but just as his eye is on the sparrow and he numbers the hairs on our heads, God sees us. Peter was not to concern himself with who would be first or who would receive the best from God, neither should we because “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” God’s rewards are never based on earthly standards but God always gives us more than we can ever imagine!
EXAMPLE: I often wondered if my father had eyes in the back of his head. We could be secretly trying to get away with something and he would declare, “I see you!” Argh! I grew up thinking God was kind of the same kind of spoilsport. Always looking for a way to ruin my fun, God would boldly declare, “I see you!” Later, after coming to know Jesus as my Savior and my Lord, I began to realize that God does truly see me. But it is not in some “I gotcha” kind of way. God sees me for who I am and he sees me as I am meant to be in him. He really sees the best in me that I often cannot see in myself. Yet it is more than that, God sees me when I am depressed, lonely, happy, glad, or in any situation in life. He sees me. Me. With all of my foibles, aches, pains, gripes, groans, ups and downs – God sees me. And I am so glad he does because knowing that God actually sees me means he has the best for me. I did not always fully understand what Paul meant when he wrote, “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’--but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-12), now I do. And God gives us more than we can ever imagine!
Conclusion:
Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?” when we need to remember that God gives us more than we can ever imagine!
—
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 5, 2010 AM
In March of 2002 Petty Officer Neil Roberts, a U.S. Navy SEAL fell out of a stricken helicopter during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. According to a Pentagon report, Roberts survived the fall, and then held off Al Qaida and Taliban fighters for over 30 minutes, firing a belt-fed machine-gun. The terrorists finally overran Roberts’ position and killed him at close range, after his gun jammed. Believing that Roberts might still be alive, U.S. Special Forces mounted two rescue attempts. Six other Americans—including two airmen—died in the fighting that followed. The battle finally ended with the recovery of Roberts’ body, the evacuation of other casualties, and Air Force gunships raking the area with cannon fire. The effort to rescue Petty Officer Roberts typifies the military credo of “leave no man behind.”
In Christianity, there is a credo that has all but been forgotten in our day and age. Christians sing about it, and they often talk about it, but few of them do little about it. The credo is “Leave everything behind!” But what does it mean for the believer to leave everything behind in life? Jesus addresses this issue with his disciples in the gospel of Mark. Let’s find out what he told them and why as we rediscover the Christian credo of “Leave everything behind!”
READ: Mark 10:28-31
After Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler and his explanation to his followers, Peter is astounded as to what Jesus told them. If a rich person cannot be saved, who then can be saved, and what happens to those of us who have “left everything to follow” Jesus? Peter is guilty of doing what many folks do in our day when confronted with the Christian credo “Leave everything behind”, he wonders about what he will have to give up to follow Jesus! We discover that…
I. Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?” (v. 28)
1. You mean it isn’t all about me, Jesus! Peter’s pathetic pronounce is even more telling than the rich young man’s desperate rationalization. One was making excuses for his unwillingness and the other is trying to find out what his willingness will cost! Matthew writes that Peter continued by asking, “What then will there be for us?” Herein is the context of Peter’s question. The young man had not left his riches, but the disciples had. Peter understood what they had given up already -- homes, family, and a business. As a simple working fisherman, Peter had given up “everything to follow” Jesus. In a day where everything revolves around the individual, we find it hard to understand the notion of walking away from everything we hold dear to follow the Lord. But this is exactly what the disciples were asked to do! The Christian should never forget the cost. What do the Christian songs “I Surrender All” or “Give It All Away,” mean to the believer of our day? We love to sing them however do we really truly mean what we sing? Perhaps we would do well to sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back until Monday comes, until Monday comes!” Faith in Christ requires us to leave everything behind in order to follow him. Does this mean we turn our backs on our responsibilities? No, Jesus would never ask us to follow him irresponsibly. But it does mean that we are to be willing to turn away from the things he asks us. For some it can include leaving parents, home, a job, or that which we may treasure most. Some are quick to follow Jesus as long as he never asks them to give up what they cherish, but what we cherish may be the one idol that stands in our way of following him completely. It was for the rich young man and Peter was dangerously close. Jesus says, “Leave everything behind and follow me.” Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?”
EXAMPLE: Luke relates that as the disciples and Jesus, “were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:57-62) Jesus sounds kind of harsh here but is he, let’s find out. Years ago when Romania was under the control of Communism, Bela Karolyi coached gymnastics. He skillfully developed the talents of stars such as gold-medalist Nadia Comaneci. For his success in training athletes who were bringing fame to his Iron Curtain country, he was rewarded with an expensive car and many other favors. But Bela hungered for freedom. So one day, carrying only a small suitcase, he resolutely walked out of Romania into penniless liberty. When the fishermen Peter and Andrew heard Jesus call, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” we are told that they “immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:19-20). James and John also left their father and their livelihood to embark on a precarious life of discipleship. They knew the cost and chose to follow Jesus, leaving everything behind (vv. 21-22). Jesus desires His followers to be absorbed in one single, exclusive thought and passion—Him. Jesus tells us to “Leave everything behind.” Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?”
We may want to ignore it but we still think in the back of our minds, “What will this cost me?” as we try and follow Jesus. It is human nature and Jesus knew all about it as well. Jesus is not some cold calculating demigod that demands everything but gives nothing in return. Jesus understands the cost involved quite well because he had to be willing to give it all for us. Jesus also fully understands something we do not quite grasp when we are willing to “Leave everything behind…”
II. God gives us more than we can ever imagine! (Vv. 29-31)
1. El Roi sees your past misery, your present pain, your uncertain future! I can see Jesus stopping and solemnly looking at each of them. He then softly relates, “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” Hagar, Sarai’s abused maidservant, would understand. Running away into the wilderness because of her mistresses’ fickleness and her arrogance toward Sarai, she is completely dependent upon the Lord to protect and provide for both her and her baby boy. There in the desert, feeling the misery of her past and the uncertainty of her future, Hagar met God, who saw her and took care of her. She called him El Roi, “the one who sees me.” Jesus senses the disciple’s uncertainty. He reminds them of the truth of the situation; God will not abandon them. He sees them. If one truly leaves everything behind to follow him, he will more than provide. We fail to understand this provision of God when we run ahead of him. Christians can also fail to truly discover the blessing of allowing God to work when they try to plan it all out for him. We can begin to think our likes and desires are what God likes and desires for our lives, without ever asking him or waiting for a definitive answer. Jesus had definitely called Peter and the others. Their lives had been and would be totally changed. Families would be replaced with brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers in the Lord. Homes and fields were replaced with ministry and mission fields. Yet the warning was clear, there would also be persecutions. Those who leave everything behind for Jesus will face persecution for their willingness to follow him, but just as his eye is on the sparrow and he numbers the hairs on our heads, God sees us. Peter was not to concern himself with who would be first or who would receive the best from God, neither should we because “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” God’s rewards are never based on earthly standards but God always gives us more than we can ever imagine!
EXAMPLE: I often wondered if my father had eyes in the back of his head. We could be secretly trying to get away with something and he would declare, “I see you!” Argh! I grew up thinking God was kind of the same kind of spoilsport. Always looking for a way to ruin my fun, God would boldly declare, “I see you!” Later, after coming to know Jesus as my Savior and my Lord, I began to realize that God does truly see me. But it is not in some “I gotcha” kind of way. God sees me for who I am and he sees me as I am meant to be in him. He really sees the best in me that I often cannot see in myself. Yet it is more than that, God sees me when I am depressed, lonely, happy, glad, or in any situation in life. He sees me. Me. With all of my foibles, aches, pains, gripes, groans, ups and downs – God sees me. And I am so glad he does because knowing that God actually sees me means he has the best for me. I did not always fully understand what Paul meant when he wrote, “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’--but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-12), now I do. And God gives us more than we can ever imagine!
Conclusion:
Too many ask, “What’s in it for me?” when we need to remember that God gives us more than we can ever imagine!
—
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2010 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
Comments
For those of us who are the children of those God calls, we become the collateral damage in God's work.
We lose our larger families when our parents move away from them to become missionaries. Then we lose our parents when they send us away to boarding school. Then we lose more to the abuse suffered out of the sight of our parents at the missionary kid school.
God gets his work done, and he gets it done through the one he called, so they are rewarded with achievement of his mission.
We are the detritus left in the wake of the fishing boat, bleeding and drowning. God doesn't care.