Blessings and Persecutions
Mark 10:17–31
Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time . . . with persecutions. Mark 10:29–30
Christ’s words to the disciples are not just an encouragement to serve Christ, important as that may be. They are also an encouragement to trust him through difficult times. We can hardly escape this point since the Lord links his promise of blessings to the phrase “with persecutions,” thereby indicating that, although he undertakes to bless us abundantly with homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and even fields, we will not enjoy these without the persecutions that inevitably come to any true follower of Christ. We will continue to have hardships until we come to possess our full inheritance in the presence of Jesus himself in heaven.
Most persecutions come from the world. The world hates Christ, so naturally it hates those who serve Christ and live like him. That hatred is increased when Christians are blessed by their heavenly Father.
Here the blessings of God on believers in this life are an encouragement to them to continue trusting him in spite of the difficulties. The Christian may reason, It is true that the world hates me; Jesus warned that this would be the case. But though the world hates me and wishes me harm, it is evident that God loves me and wishes me good. He has blessed me a hundredfold—with homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields. Every day I see further evidence of God’s favor. So I will trust him to do me the further good of seeing me through these temptations and bringing me safe to heaven.
Other persecutions come from the devil. We must not overly emphasize this source of temptations, for the devil is a finite creature and can therefore only tempt one individual in one place at one time. He has probably never persecuted either you or anyone you know personally. Still the devil has hosts of lesser demons who work with him, and he is capable of working indirectly through mere human beings. If persecutions come from this source, God’s goodness is an encouragement to trust him through these times also.
Yet I say this: the promise is for the righteous, which means for those who have been made righteous through God’s grace received in following after Jesus Christ. These are great promises. They are encouragement to trust God and serve Christ. But they are for those who have not turned back to their possessions, as the rich young man did, but who rather have turned from them, forsaking everything for the surpassing joy of the excellency of knowing Jesus Christ. To these alone God promises homes, parents, children, friends, and fields—with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865
Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.