The Teachings of Jesus

Sermon Seventy-Six

Matthew 19:16-30

(Rich Young Man, part 2)

by

Jim Bordwine, ThD

Introduction

We have been studying the story of the rich young man who came to Jesus asking about eternal life. We’ve seen how Jesus responded to this man and taught him about the sad state of his heart. We’ve heard Jesus explain the difficulty of being in possession of this world’s good while desiring heaven. In that exchange with the young man, Jesus presented to him a test. The test involved the surrendering of all earthly goods in order to inherit eternal life. The disciples witnessed this exchange and heard what Jesus said. This leads one of them to ask a pertinent question about the relationship between their service to the Savior and their future in heaven.

The Text

Matthew 19:27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”

The Teaching

It’s not difficult to understand what prompted Peter’s question. Jesus has been dealing with a young man who asked him about obtaining eternal life. In the exchange, you’ll recall that Jesus told the young man he needed to sell all his earthly possessions and help the poor—that would be the cost to inherit eternal life. The young man was unable to comply and thereby learned that his heart was corrupted due to the influence of this fallen world; his love for his possessions became an obstacle that he could not overcome.

The Lord then made the observation that it is difficult for a rich man to enter heaven, but that even that which is impossible with men is possible with God. It is then that this question comes from Peter. He and the others, he claims, had “left everything” and followed Jesus. They had, in other words, done what Jesus demanded of the young man. I should point out that the term (aphiemi) Peter uses, translated “left,” as in “left everything,” is a word that describes abandonment. And the word (akoloutheo) translated “followed,” as in his statement “we have left everything and followed You,” refers to the act of becoming a devoted disciple.

Peter really did leave all of his earthly possessions and aspirations when he started following the Lord; his was a complete joining to the Savior while leaving everything else behind. In Peter’s mind, therefore, he had fulfilled the requirement Jesus put before the young man, so he naturally assumes he is in line for reward. Peter is wondering about his destiny.

We know that Peter does sometimes speak too quickly. When that happens, he learns soon enough that his words are rash and misplaced. But is that the case here? Is Peter really asking if he is going to be rewarded for his dedication, as if Jesus owed him something for his loyalty, or is this an innocent question in light of what Jesus said to the young man? Will he receive anything for sacrificing as he implies he has? Sometimes you can tell if Peter’s statements and questions are offensive by the manner in which Jesus replies. This time, however, Jesus doesn’t really give us an indication of being bothered by Peter’s question and the assumptions behind it.

Jesus answers Peter’s question but His answer goes way beyond what Peter was thinking; I’m sure of that. Peter is wondering if he will receive some compensation for his dedication and service; Jesus reveals to him that his destiny is something incredibly wonderful and something never envisioned by Peter or any of the other followers of Christ.

Take note of the Lord’s answer again: “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” As I said, Peter is wondering about what kind of compensation or reward he’ll receive, but Jesus tells him he is to be enthroned as a judge of the twelve tribes of Israel. This response puts Peter’s service and the Lord’s mission, in fact, into a whole new perspective, as far as the disciples are concerned. What Jesus is doing will culminate in the judging of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Lord indicates a day will come when this tremendous event will come to pass and Peter is told he will not only be present, he will be one of the judges!

What awaits Peter and the other disciples is something of unimaginable glory. They will have a place in an event never before witnessed in all of God’s creation. They will have significant roles in the final events to unfold as this present existence is brought to a close and God prepares to usher in a new environment, one that is free of the contamination of sin. Peter and the others are learning of something fantastic, although the full impact of the Lord’s response does not strike them at this point.

We must pause and ponder this scene. Here are the disciples, each one called by Jesus from an ordinary life, called to serve Him and dedicate their lives to His cause. They are not great men, as the world measures greatness, but they have been called by the Lord to labor with Him, while He is here, and after Him, when He returns to heaven. The only thing that makes these men remarkable is the fact that they have been appointed to these unique roles by God. Here is a case where you have men of no particularly abilities or renown being called into a vocation of service that will culminate with them sitting as judges on a grand and cosmic day of reckoning. They did nothing to deserve this honor; what makes them noteworthy is God’s calling and God’s equipping.

I want to pause here and state that this follows a pattern in the Bible of God elevating the ordinary to extraordinary heights. God takes that which is of no particular fame in this world and exalts it to places of unmatched privilege. He took Noah, a man largely unknown among men and placed him in the middle of a world-wide judgment. Noah becomes the captain of the vessel in which mankind and the animal kingdom and the true knowledge of God are preserved when the waters of God’s wrath fell upon the earth.

God took Abraham, another man of no particular fame and made him one of the wealthiest and most respected men on earth. By no merit of his own, Abraham assumed the position of father of the faithful in God’s amazing plan to save the human race through the seed of Abraham, even Jesus Christ.

A young lad without prior honor was led onto the battlefield against Goliath the giant and, with the hand of God upon him, destroyed that enemy of Israel. Thereafter, David’s reputation grew and he became a king of great renown. His place in the line of the redeemed is unparalleled. And what about that other young man, Daniel? He was placed by God in a position of extreme danger and as God led him and protected him, Daniel developed into a man of incredible insight and wisdom.

And then God took us, people of no means, people lost in sin and the deception of the adversary, and He gave us life and has bestowed on us riches beyond measure. He has delivered us from darkness and the wrath to come and has given us a place in His household. Our future is now bright and glorious, whereas before it was frightening and bleak. This is how God operates. He delights in raising up that which is counted of no worth in this world. He redeems us in Christ and appoints us a share in the victory and inheritance of the Savior. He has done this for multitudes before us and will do it for multitudes yet unborn. This is typical of God who is great and good and wise and all-powerful.

Paul summed up God’s ways when he wrote:

1 Cor. 1:26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 for God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.

Peter and the disciples are learning that God has ordained remarkable paths for each of them. He has appointed a unique future for them. Jesus refers to it as the “regeneration.” This is the time of renewal for the earth predicted by Isaiah, for example, in chapters 65 and 66; this topic is briefly mentioned by Peter in 2 Pet. 3; and it is described in greater detail in Rev. 21. This is the day of Christ’s return when judgment begins for all the earth. Seated with Him, we are told, will be these men, the disciples. Peter asked “what then will there be for us?” Jesus replied by revealing that the greatest of all privileges awaits them. They will sit with the blessed and glorified Jesus on that last day as He establishes righteousness forever.

Jesus also mentions that the disciples, seated on their thrones, will judge the twelve tribes of Israel. This is an eschatological phrase referring to the whole number of the elect, all called and saved in Christ Jesus. The restored and new Israel is the full Body of Christ, at last complete, at last delivered from the world and presented to the Father.

We are given a picture of that event in Scripture. That day will be beyond compare as Jesus our King takes His place in front of the citizens of His blessed kingdom; and there with Him, will appear those servants who accompanied Him on this earth and carried on for Him after He departed. What an incredible sight that will be! That is what God has in store for you, Peter! You were thinking in terms of earthly possessions, but God has appointed for you something of greatest honor and something that will bring the highest joy.

This special promise made to Peter and the disciples is followed by more wonderful words from the Savior. These words pertain to all who follow Him in this life: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters of father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” (v. 29) Jesus is speaking of all who have chosen to follow Him and, as a result, have had to turn away from other relationships or possessions or circumstances. His description is broad and refers to the loss of anything due to following Him in faith. Whatever a believer might give up, so to speak, cannot be compared with the blessings awaiting those who know Christ as Savior.

Many Christians know what it is like to have to choose Christ over loved ones, even close relatives; many Christians know what it is like to give up worldly possessions or worldly success in order to be faithful to the Savior. To all those, Jesus promises an abundance of blessing from God, even eternal life. Peter has raised the question of the cost of discipleship for himself and the other men. Jesus has answered with a stunning promise of a place of incredible prominence in the kingdom to come. And Jesus took that occasion to assure all who sacrifice relationships and worldly treasure for His sake. They, too, will be abundantly blessed and will enjoy His presence forever. There will be no comparison in the end between what is forsaken for Christ’s name and what we will receive from Him.

At that point, Jesus makes one of the most interesting statements in the Gospels: “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” (v. 30) In summary, this verse warns us that there will be a few surprises in heaven. Some who are viewed as so important and indispensable here, may not receive such high honors there. On the other hand, one who is considered of little worth here, may be greatly honored there. In other words, we need to be careful about the judgments we make regarding who, in this present world, is impressing God with their lives and who is not. Some who might expect a great reception in heaven may be surprised when another, one they considered dispensable, is honored before them.

This statement isn’t referring to some thinking they are going to heaven later finding out that they were not born-again. This verse is a reminder that God does not judge as the world judges. The lowly widow who spends many hours each week in prayer before God only may receive greater honor on that great day than the one who is well-known and highly visible in his service to the kingdom. Jesus elaborates on this idea in the next chapter when He presents a parable to His disciples concerning the kingdom of heaven. There, the lesson is that there may be a few unexpected developments when everything is said and done in this world and we are gathered to our Savior.

Application

One of the most obvious lessons to be taken from this passage of Scripture has to do with how we view our service to our Savior. It is helpful for us to remember that no sacrifice made for Christ, no turning away from worldly pursuits for His sake, no choice made for His glory is meaningless. This passage makes clear the fact that Christ takes note of what His people do for Him and what they endure for His sake.

We don’t make a decision to turn from other things and follow Him only once in our lifetimes; we make this decision multiple times every day. When we rise each morning, we have stretching out before us, numerous hours during which we will make choices and some of those choices will touch upon our relationship with Christ. Some of those choices will have to do with how we choose to live in this world, and how we determine to spend the time given to us. Yes, it is true that some believers have had to choose between following Christ and remaining in fellowship with family members; and some have had to choose between following Christ and a certain vocation. When those choices are made and a believer remains loyal to the Savior, that is cause for rejoicing.

But those aren’t the only times when believers much decide which way they will travel. As stated, every day is filled with dozens of such opportunities. You choose to pursue your calling as a wife and mother, or you choose to substitute some other endeavor. You choose to honor your calling as a husband and father, or you choose to spend your time in other activities. Every day, we all choose to honor Christ with our thoughts and words and plans, or we choose not to allow His honor to bear upon us. Be assured, however, that the Savior takes note of when we choose to identify with Him and when we choose to give up something so that we might serve Him more freely and faithfully and when we suffer ridicule or loneliness because we choose to serve Him.

In short, there is no decision made for Christ, no action taken for His glory, no word spoken for His honor that is meaningless in His sight. If you forsake other things for His glory, He sees and is pleased. If you choose friendship with Him over friendship with those who do not know Him, He sees and is pleased. No effort made for the glory of the Savior goes unnoticed. And when that day of reckoning arrives, we can be sure our Savior will bless us.

Please note as well that this passage reminds us of how God routinely takes the people of this world who are of no great renown and blesses them beyond measure. The disciples learn that an amazing privilege awaits them when the day of judgment arrives. They will have positions of extreme honor. Yet they are mere men, and men of no great reputation at that. As I said before, this is not an unusual development in the ways of God. He raises up and honors those who have little or no honor in this world.

Consider what He has done for you. We are of no great importance to this world. Whether we are here or not has little impact on this world. God has called us from various places and from various pursuits and has made us part of His redeemed family. And with that will come a day of unparalleled blessing, as we have learned today. Why would such a wonderful thing happen to us? What do we have to commend ourselves to God?

You know the answers. You know that what happens to us is a result of God’s amazing grace, His decision to call us and save us and prepare us for heaven—not based on our deserving, but only on His mysterious love. And you know that we had nothing to commend ourselves to Him. In fact, without His help, we would have had no payment for our sin and could only have anticipated a miserable future. But God provided for us a gift of indescribable worth—and that gift is His own Son who because our Savior.

Out of grace and grace alone, Jesus gave Himself for us and we find ourselves bound for heaven. We who are of no particular renown have been called and saved and justified and are being led to heaven. This is what God has done for us. It is His desire to take those who are lost and reclaim them for His own glory. We are among those so restored. And that is reason enough for a lifetime of thanksgiving and a lifetime of service to Him.

It is easy to get in the habit of dwelling on the difficulty of living the Christian life. This coming week, let’s agree to dwell in the blessings of the Christian life. Take time to rehearse the wonderful things God has done for you and promised to you. And follow that with thanksgiving.

Let’s pray…

Communion hymn…

Conclusion

This sacrament brings us together in a unique way each Lord’s Day. It reminds us that we are part of the same body, bought by the same blood, sanctified by the same Spirit. We are the family of God. Whatever God has promised to His family belongs to you as you participate in this sacrament. Here you are reminded that Jesus gave His life for yours and you are reminded that Jesus shed His blood to cover your sins. What a great cause for rejoicing!

Paul wrote:

1 Cor. 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.