Mark 10:29-30(NKJV) 29So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
Last week we spent most of our time in Matthew 6 and Matthew 29. In Matthew 6 we learned that Jesus encouraged his disciples to lay up treasure in heaven as opposed to on the earth. The purpose was twofold. First, treasure stored in heaven is protected from the world and the world system. Second, storing our treasure in heaven will keep our heart focused in the right direction.
The rich young ruler in Matthew 19 is an example of the outworking of this principle. Jesus offered him discipleship if he would give his treasure to the poor. He went away sad because he had so much. His treasure was stored on the earth because he could not see that Jesus was offering something worth far more than earthly treasure. He also did not remember that Proverb 19 tells us that if we give to the poor we lend to the Lord and the Lord will repay us.
If the rich young ruler had obeyed Jesus, he would have had the privilege of traveling with Jesus and learning what he could not have learned any other way. He also would have stored his treasure in heaven. That does not mean he could not get it. It meant it would be available when he needed it.
We must understand that when we give in response to the Word of God, we never give anything away. We do have to release it from our direct control. We have to entrust it to the Lord and to heaven, but we do not give it away. God keeps track of everything we give. When we need our treasure for something on the earth, we go to the Lord by faith and ask for what we need. He has promised that he will supply those needs. He even tells us in Psalm 37 that he will give us the desires of our hearts.
If the treasure we desire to use happens to be in an earthly account of some kind, we still should ask the Lord if we can do with it what we are planning to do. The principle is the same when we are talking about the treasures that are actually stored in heaven as a result of our giving. We go to God and ask him for what we need. If what we ask is not in the will of God, he will let us know. If what we want to use our treasure for is in the will of God, we will see that treasure come to us.
You might ask, “How will God get what we need into our hands?” All I can say is that he will do it legally. Beyond that, I will tell you that God has an infinite number of ways to get what you need into your hands. One of our men stood up Sunday and gave a testimony that illustrates the diversity of how God supplies our needs.
This man needed tires for his van. He researched the prices online and found some good deals. He took the information to a local store and had the tires put on. When he asked for the bill, the salesman said, “The manager has it. You’ll have to go see him.” The brother went to the manager and asked for the bill. The manager said, “There is no bill.” When asked why he said, “I’m the manager and I can do what I want.”
Now, I do not know about you, but I do not think that is the normal way to get tires. God can do things that we could not figure out if we took years to try to explain it. Just trust him. Make your request and thank God for the answer. He will surprise you when you do.
Today’s verse takes place just after the account of the rich young ruler as told in Mark 10. When the young man walked away, Jesus commented on how hard it was for a rich man to enter heaven. The disciples were astonished. They asked Jesus who could possibly be saved if a rich man could not. I find that interesting.
Today we would probably be much more surprised if Jesus said a poor man could not be saved. If Jesus said a rich person would have a hard time being saved, we would probably shake our heads and sadly agree. Why did the disciples have such a different reaction? The reason is their completely different view of wealth.
You see to Israel, wealth was a sign that a man had kept the covenant. Poverty was not a sign of spirituality, but a sign that the person was cursed. To the disciples, the rich would certainly be saved because they kept the covenant. The poor man would probably go to hell because they did not. Our views tend to be just the opposite. The rich must be rich because of evil practices and the poor are victims who will be saved because they were taken advantage of in life.
The truth is that neither view is completely accurate. The determining factor for salvation is the covenant between God the Father and Jesus Christ. If we receive Jesus, we are part of that covenant. If we do not receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we will spend eternity separated from God because we are outside of the covenant. If we are not saved, we are not in the covenant and are not able to receive its benefits. If we are saved, we are in the covenant and all of the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ. (2 Cor. 1:20)
Giving is a covenant action. If I give, I am exercising faith in the covenant. This is what Jesus reveals to the disciples in Mark 10:29-30. He reassures them that the covenant is still very much intact. The way it works out in the natural will be somewhat different than they currently understand it, but the covenant is not void. Today, it is a new covenant based on better promises, but it still applies to giving.
They have left everything for Jesus. Jesus tells them that they have lost none of what they left. It will be returned to them 100 fold in this life. Tomorrow we will talk a little about what “100 fold” means, but for today, just remember this. When you are a giver and you have invested in the Kingdom of God, God knows and records everything you have given. He does not need to have this record to take care of you. He loves you and he will take care of you. However, you and the devil need to know that your giving is a covenant action that must be honored.
When you come to God, knowing that you have given you do not come as a beggar. You come as a covenant partner in good standing. You come on the strength of covenant relationship that says whatever one partner does the other must also do. You have given for the Gospel and God will give back to you at a return rate of 100 fold or 100 times the investment.
Even more important for us to understand is that this cripples the devil where you treasure is concerned. Both Jesus and Paul call the devil the god of this world. The fall of man gave the devil authority over man and all man has. The covenant in Jesus takes precedence over that authority. If I have not given, the devil has some ability to hinder God from meeting my needs. However, if I am a giver the devil has no authority over my treasure. It is laid up in heaven and the rules of heaven apply. He cannot hinder God from meeting my needs because I have the authority of the covenant on my side.
Think of what you have given. Release your faith in the covenant where that treasure is concerned. Remind the devil that he has no authority over your treasure and trust God with every need in your life. He will meet them and more.
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