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Matthew 19:27-30
Jesus has counseled a rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22 about giving up his possessions to have eternal life. In Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus teaches His disciples that it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. But Jesus also adds in Matthew 19:26 (NKJV), “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Immediately following this profound statement by Jesus, Peter asks Jesus about what the disciples will receive because they have left everything to follow Jesus (Matthew 19:27). In Matthew 19:28 Jesus assures His disciples that they will have their place in “His glory” with Him. Jesus also declares in Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” A key phrase in this statement is, “for My name’s sake.” In Matthew 19:30 Jesus states, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” This is in relation to those who, by earthly standards, seem to have it all – those who measure life by the amount of earthly possessions they have acquired – who seem to be first in this world – will be last in God’s glory, as we have learned in Matthew 19:16-22 in the story of the rich young ruler.
This is a promise that putting Jesus before the possessions of this world will inherit eternal life in the glory of Jesus.
We all “want” things. It is the desires of the flesh – it is the earthly desires that we all have. It is not a bad thing to want things or to have things through the work that we do throughout our lives and the financial backing that we acquire. But what is important in the eyes of God is that we do not put it before Him as it is He who allows us to have the things that we do. God needs to be first in our lives; no exceptions!
Dear LORD,
We are thankful for the things that You allow us to have in this world, but please help us to see that You allow us to have these things; and for this we should put You first in our lives and not let the temporal things of this world rule our lives. It is You LORD God Almighty who is worthy of our praise. Let it be so! In Jesus name I pray, amen.