Oh, what a family!

‘Yes’, Jesus said to them, ‘and I tell you that those who leave home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property for me and for the gospel, will receive much more in this present age. They will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property – and persecutions as well; and in the age to come they will receive eternal life.’ (verses 29, 30)

Read Mark 10:17-31

My goodness, it’s tough! What Christians are required to do for God in this passage. No wonder so many aren’t as committed as Jesus expects them to be!

This passage isn’t really about what people are to do for God – even though that’s the way Peter understood it, too. Really, it’s about how much we receive from God because we are part of the Christian community.

When we are truly part of the Christian community we are truly blessed with people around us who are ‘like family’ to us. That is why we have ‘hundreds of mothers, brothers, sisters, children’ – and have access to hundreds of houses too. The Christian community is one where encouragement, support, love and hospitality are par for the course. We don’t really lose our own families; as a family, when God is our life, we all gain. We can also expect to face some persecution, because we are part of the body of one who suffered very much for the message we now proclaim. But, no matter what we face, we know we will be given the strength to cope and the words to win over our persecutors.

Father of many children, I thank you that you have time for me and all my brothers and sisters. Amen.

by Bob Turnbull, in ‘God’s Promises for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1999)

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