God's Reward

Mark 10:29-31 And Jesus replied, “Let me assure you that no one has ever given up anything-home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or property-for love of me and to tell others the Good News, 30 who won’t be given back, a hundred times over, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land-with persecutions! All these will be his here on earth, and in the world to come he shall have eternal life. 31 But many people who seem to be important now will be the least important then; and many who are considered least here shall be greatest there.”
 
JESUS’ assurance in his final response the rich young ruler who asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Then he left dejected because Jesus said, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  He viewed his earthly treasure of more value than eternal life with God.
   Still, this prompted the disciples to wonder what would become of their devotion to Jesus. They want to know what is ahead. It’s a natural thing, isn’t it? God has made us to know things. How do we know Jesus’ magnificent promise awaits us?
   To know what’s ahead, we can look back to see the ways God physically enriched the lives of his faithful. For example, what would have happened to Joseph if he had abandoned his faith in God? When Joseph remained faithful even in severe persecution, God rewarded him in the way Jesus illustrates the spiritual joy in our kingdom future.
     There are many examples of the faithful men and women of the church who have denied everything – even their lives – because they trusted Jesus’ kingdom promises. When will God reward them?
   Jesus tells us when in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus turns our eyes forward to see what we want to know. Here are some excerpts of the Christians’ future from Revelation 21, 22. You can read these and the other abundant verses of God’s majestic promises often to know your reward is far more than any earthly value: Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”…Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
   Many live as the rich young ruler to reject eternal reward for immediate pleasure. Why would they do that and miss the inheritance of eternal life?