Leave Everything Mark 10:17-31

“Peter said, we have left our own homes and followed You” (Luke 18:28, NASB).

I remember my days as a child when one of my older brothers and sisters would leave home. Three of my older brothers leave home to join the military services. Six of my older sisters leave home to go to college. Each of them leaves home on their own free will. They leave to do something that they want to do. They have dreams for their future life. Yet, when it is time to leave they find leaving home difficult. There is a bond and an affection that they have with their family and community that they cannot easily break. Leaving that which gives us our identity and purpose in life is not easily done. These realities serve as a motivation for this article.

In this article I want to talk about the cost of following Jesus. As we can see from the scripture above Peter says that he and the other disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. This is an important statement that Peter makes because when Jesus first calls Peter and his brother Andrew and James and his brother John the writers of the gospels of Mark and Matthew do not make this apparent. Instead, the disciples are said to have left their nets immediately to follow Jesus (Matt. 4:18-22; Mk. 1:16-20). Peter’s statement lets us know that leaving may not have been as easy as we think. The idea may sound good at first, but soon we find out that leaving everything is difficult to do. Let us examine this idea.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John are fishermen. This is who they are and fishing is what they do. James and John work with their father Zebedee. They are commercial fishermen. Luke tells us about their relationship. In Luke 5 Jesus uses Peter’s boat to teach the crowds. After teaching the people Jesus tells Peter to catch some fish. Peter tells Jesus that they had fished all night and caught nothing. However, because Jesus tells him to, Peter cast his nets into the water and catches a great number of fish. Because the fish are so heavy they call for help (Lk. 5:1-8). Everyone is amazed. Luke writes, “And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.’ When they had brought their boats to land they left everything and followed Him” (Lk. 5:10-11, NASB). Why do these men drop their nets and follow Jesus?

In Luke we discover a more detail account of the relationship between these men and Jesus. Let us discover how their relationship begins and develops, because the nature of their relationship will help to explain the reasons that these fishermen follow Jesus. Mark records these words. “Now after John (the Baptist) had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mk. 1:14-15). Have you put all of this together? Jesus does not walk up to some strangers and invite them to follow Him. Rather, these fishermen are familiar with Jesus and His message and His ministry. They know about His preaching and His healing of the sick. Again, in Luke’s account crowds are following Jesus. Jesus uses Peter’s boat to speak to the people. He tells Peter where to cast his net to catch fish after they had stopped after fishing all night and catching nothing (Lk. 5:1-8). So, even though these men follow Jesus immediately, we are to understand that “immediately” refers to the events that have just taken place. They follow Jesus because they know that Jesus has something better to offer them. It’s not a better job. It’s a better relationship to God. It is the hope of gaining eternal life. Although this is in the infancy stage of their relationship to Jesus, they sense that Jesus will change their lives for the better.

In our text recorded by Mark (10:17-31) a young man ask Jesus about eternal life. “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life” (Mk. 10:17, NASB). The question implies that the man thinks that he is able to do whatever needs to be done to inherit eternal life. There are a lot of people that believe this today. However, this belief is based on the doctrine of salvation by works. This belief is denied in the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and all the biblical writers. My favorite scripture written by Paul the apostle says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9, NASB). This is the doctrine that a person is saved by grace alone; by faith alone.

Jesus tells the man to keep the commandments and the man feels good about himself and his chances of inheriting eternal life. Then Jesus tells the man to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor “and come, follow Me” (Mk. 10:11). The man responds negatively to the words of Jesus. “But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property” (v. 22). Does Jesus have anything against material possessions? No. Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10, NASB). The issue here is that the man values his property more than he values eternal life. His riches are in his hands. What Jesus offers him is a possibility, but there is a risk of losing everything and gaining nothing. The man wants to hold on to what He has, and he is no different than most people. It is hard to give up that which we are familiar with even though there is the possibility of gaining something better.

Jesus tells His disciples that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mk. 10:24-25). The disciples are amazed. “They were even more astonished and said to Him, ‘Then who can be saved” (v. 26)? In verse 27 Jesus answers their question.

“Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God’” (v. 27). It is impossible for men to be saved by men. Men have nothing to offer God in order to be saved. God does not want our possessions. There is no place for them in heaven. One’s possessions have no value or use in the kingdom. Why? Because Jesus has made space and He has prepared that space with everything that is needed. “‘In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also’” (Jn. 14:2-3, NASB). Jesus requires us to give up everything in order to follow Him. The work that we do is only the beginning of our journey with Jesus. Our final destination is the room that Jesus prepares for us in the kingdom of God.

It seems to me that Peter does not yet fully understand what Jesus is saying. “Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You’” (v.28, NASB). In verses 29-30 Jesus assures Peter that those who leave everything behind for the sake of Jesus and the gospel will be compensated sufficiently in this life, and also they will be persecuted. In the age to come they will receive eternal life.

What would you give in exchange for your soul? What would you give up to receive eternal life? Anyone that decides to follow Jesus must be willing to leave everything. Jesus is particularly telling His disciples that in order to be apostles (sent ones) into the world to preach the gospel and make disciples of all people requires them to leave their own possessions behind and follow Him.