Mark 10:29-31
“Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecution—and in the age to come eternal life.”
There are two lists here.
The first list includes what some of the disciples had left behind:
-House
-Brothers
-Sisters
-Mother
-Father
-Children
-Fields
The second list consists of what the disciples will receive "now" in this age as rewards:
-Houses
-Brothers
-Sisters
-Mothers (notice the plural)
-Children
-Fields
-Persecution
The 2nd list one addition and one omission.
The addition is "persecution." Who wants that?
The omission in the 2nd list is "father." Is this an intentional move by Jesus?
Could it be that in an age when fathers were seen as the centerpiece of the family, Jesus suggests that God becomes the Father overall? If so, the role of the dad is to usher their children into God’s family.
Jesus isn't destroying family structures.
He is promoting a larger family of the community of believers.
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I really enjoy reading the blog. Interesting thoughts. Hope you all have a wonderful week with your family. We'll see you soon. Karen
ReplyDeleteFrom someone who did leave all of these to preacher, I can say for sure that this is really the case.
ReplyDeleteKaren,
ReplyDeleteYou are a blessing to me and the fam.
Matthew,
I'd love to hear more of your story.
Truly insightful writing.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Mimmy