Matthew 19:29, commentary and pictures

Jesus answered Peter's question about what those who have left everything to follow Him will receive by promising abundant return now and eternal life to come. To forsake for His name means putting home, family, possessions, ambition and even life itself second to loyalty to Him, holding all as His steward to bless the needy and advance His work. Those who do so do not suffer ultimate loss, for in this life God repays more than is surrendered by receiving them into His own family, providing homes, friends and needful care even in famine. This hundredfold comes not as wages owed for work but as a generous gift from a King to humble, self-denying servants who lift up others rather than seek honor. Those who cling to riches rather than God and refuse to give cannot keep both, but lose the heavenly treasure and everlasting life.

Setting and Occasion

Jesus spoke these words in answer to Peter's question about what those who have forsaken all and followed Him, fulfilling the conditions set before the rich man, shall have. To everyone who leaves houses, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or lands for His name's sake He promises a hundredfold return and the inheritance of everlasting life. The answer is tender and compassionate commendation meant to encourage making any and every sacrifice in order to follow Christ, not to fill the disciples with self-sufficiency. Christ does not despise them for forsaking but little, but accepts the disciples' few fishing boats and nets like the widow's mite, because it was all they had and was as dear to them as the riches of the wealthy are to the rich.

The saying belongs to the event just before the parable of the laborers, in which Christ presents the right principles of God's free grace. It stands against the teaching that God's favor must be earned and the reward of the righteous gained by their own works, and it exposes the grasping, mercenary spirit in worship that comes from that teaching, a spirit that was not wholly absent even from His disciples. The disciples had heard this promise together with the promise of a place in Christ's kingdom, so they expected the kingdom to be established soon and struggled to understand His prediction of betrayal, suffering, and death.

This promised reward is made possible because Christ gave His life to the work of soul-saving so that human beings can return to loyalty and take their stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel.

Meaning of Forsaking

Following Christ may require putting family, home, property and even life itself second to His name and work, with love for them never taking precedence over love and loyalty to Him. Such surrender belongs to unconditional devotion and the self-denial bound up with Christian commitment, valuing the principles of truth above houses and lands, friends and kindred, even life itself in pure, simple, fervent piety. Because the promise of a hundredfold and everlasting life impresses the priority of eternal things, temporal concerns, slight excuses and home difficulties must not hinder service for God or cause commitment to His work to be abandoned.

For the rich, forsaking means breaking away from riches by transferring affection from riches to God, holding all possessions not as one's own but as God's steward. It means making a right disposition of what God has lent to bless the needy and advance God's work out of love to God and fellow men, so that love of Jesus crowds out love of riches. In this way the first four and the last six commandments are kept, and it becomes possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

The sacrifice includes making a right and proper use of possessions, distributing substance to meet the needs of others and God's cause, venturing in faith and trusting God instead of clinging to possessions. Such giving shows love for God, for fellow people and for the truth above riches, and when God's truth thus displaces the love of riches a rich person can enter God's kingdom. The promised reward for those who give up home, family or possessions for Christ's sake is both a hundredfold in this life and everlasting life.

The call can mean leaving farms, business and if need be families to become missionaries for Him, and that call will be answered. Those who answer leave the comforts of home and the society of friends, even wife and children, to go into foreign lands among idolaters and savages to proclaim the message of mercy and carry the truth to other lands. Such ministers are precious in His sight, share Christ's solicitude for the lost, receive His Spirit, and lead souls to turn from sin to righteousness, so that step by step the cause progresses, the knowledge of God is widely extended, the banner of the cross is planted in heathen lands, and seed sown in sorrow yields a bountiful harvest even though many lose their lives and others must be raised up to carry on the work.

Genuine faith may be tested by bitter opposition requiring leaving homes, lands and even relatives for Christ's sake. That includes standing for the truth even when doing so opposes close friends or relatives, and such sacrifices should not lead anyone to surrender religious convictions or privileges. God will bless and reward such faithfulness with abundant recompense, even a thousandfold, together with everlasting life.

The verse also applies to choosing a life of active labor for God over ease, comfort and worldly interests, with the promise of a hundredfold in this life and everlasting life as the ultimate reward. It likewise covers giving up worldly ambition, social standing and temporal advantages for Christ and the truth, where following Him in a life of obedience leads to an immortal inheritance, a treasure that cannot be defiled, fade away, be destroyed by fire or be swept away by adversity. Investing time, influence and money in God's cause lays up that secure treasure in heaven, yet the promised return may include prosperity that God may also test His servants by taking away, to be borne submissively in humble submission as a test of faith.

Giving up family comforts and companionship and what is dearest for Christ is a real sacrifice, faithfully recorded and precious to God like a heart gift. It is to be made cheerfully while keeping the focus on duty and God's glory, with assurance that its reward will come. God requires people to give up only what would not be for their good and happiness to keep, so such surrender does not mean losing everything of value without return.

Promise of Hundredfold

Everyone who forsakes houses, family ties, or lands for Christ's sake receives abundant compensation and a hundredfold in this life, and will inherit everlasting life. Faithful service and obedience do not end in ultimate loss, for whatever is surrendered for Christ is more than repaid now as well as in the immortal life. The sacrifice embraced in the promise includes making a right use of possessions, distributing substance to meet the needs of others and of God's cause, venturing in faith and trusting God instead of clinging to possessions.

The self-denying are not left friendless, for when one must leave home or family God provides many homes and people to care for needs. He receives them into His own family, adopting them as sons and daughters and members of His royal household. That tie is higher and holier than any earthly tie, with an exalted place in God's family. His care holds even in famine, for as He cared for Elijah, He who has numbered the hairs of the head will care for His self-sacrificing children. He will satisfy them in days of famine and make their bread and water sure, while the wicked perish for want of bread.

The promised return may include prosperity in this life for those who give up ease and worldly interests to choose a life of active labor for God. Yet earthly blessings may be taken away to test faith, to be borne submissively, and God may withhold greater means in this life when a person could not manage them wisely. Even then treasure in heaven remains secure. Such sacrifice is a sure and secure investment in heavenly reward and treasure that cannot be destroyed by fire or swept away by adversity. Unlike worldly mining ventures and earthly investments that can end in loss and disappointment, what is invested in God's cause in time, influence, and money is laid up secure from loss.

Christ gives the hundredfold in this life and everlasting life in the world to come for every act of self-denial and sacrifice in His service, not as payment owed for human work but as a king's generous gift. The promise belongs to His faithful, self-denying followers who serve and lift up others rather than seek distinction or worldly honor. In that kingdom greatness is measured not by worldly rank or display but by humble service, compassion, love, and self-denial. God honors such followers with a place and share in His kingdom even when they do not seek or recognize their own worth, while many who are first in worldly estimation will be last and the last first.

Everlasting Life and Kingdom

Beyond the hundredfold received in this present life, everyone who gives up for Christ's sake will inherit everlasting life in the world to come. That eternal life is the reward given for every act of self-denial and sacrifice in His service when Christ takes possession of His kingdom. It is not wages owed for human work but a king's generous gift. The hundredfold itself is not granted to everyone in this life in the form of greater earthly means, for God may withhold such means when a person could not manage them wisely, while that person's treasure in heaven remains secure.

This reward belongs to the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory. Then His faithful followers who have left everything and followed Him, giving up homes, family ties, or lands for His name's sake, will also receive their place of honor and share in His kingdom, gaining back a hundred times as much and gaining eternal life. This promise belongs to Christ's faithful followers and is joined to sharing in His kingdom, where greatness is measured not by worldly rank but by humble service, compassion, love, and self-denial. It was made possible because Christ gave His life to save souls, so that human beings can return to loyalty and stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel.

The eternal inheritance and home with Christ is available to all, yet receiving it requires faith in Christ's merits, love for God, and wholehearted obedience during this life, when every person is tested. Character is formed for usefulness and duty by studying Jesus' life and character, by training thoughts and conversation, and by receiving the transforming influence of divine agencies. These influences shape habits and help a person become useful in this life and complete in Christ.

Whatever crosses are lifted, whatever losses are sustained, and whatever persecution is suffered for Christ, even to the loss of this temporal life, is amply repaid. Those who so do God's Word are blessed abundantly, securing life that lasts through the eternal ages. They walk under the direction of the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning, until they see His face with His name in their foreheads. Giving up worldly ambition, social standing, and temporal advantages for Christ and the truth is such a sacrifice whose reward is eternal life, for following Christ in a life of obedience leads to an immortal inheritance, a treasure that cannot be defiled or fade away.

Warning About Clinging

Those who love riches better than God and truth and cling to earthly wealth cannot have both riches and a treasure in heaven, but by that choice lose their heavenly treasure and everlasting life. Clinging means refusing to break away from riches, refusing to sell and give to the poor, and refusing to lend a portion of substance to the Lord to bless the needy and advance His work. What is required instead is to transfer affection from riches to God, to hold all possessions not as one's own but as lent by God in stewardship, and to make a right disposition of them out of love to God and fellow men by distributing substance to meet needs and the necessities of His cause, venturing in faith and trusting God rather than clinging to possessions.

God will not pass by one self-sacrificing child, but He will pass wealthy refusers by. In their place He will raise up others who will gladly distribute to meet the necessities of His cause, and those willing givers may take the place the refusers forfeited.

Living the Promise

Because eternal things outweigh temporal things, home difficulties, temporal concerns and slight excuses must never hinder service for God nor cause commitment to His work to be abandoned. Following Christ may require putting family, home and property second to His name and work, with the promised hundredfold and everlasting life impressing that priority. The call still goes out to leave farms and business and, if need be, families to become missionaries, and that call will be answered. Those who answer leave the comforts of home and the society of friends, even wife and children, to go into foreign lands among idolaters and savages to proclaim mercy and carry truth to other lands.

Such ministers are precious to God, share Christ's solicitude for the lost, receive His Spirit, and lead souls to turn from sin to righteousness. Though many lose their lives in the attempt, others are raised up to carry on the work, so step by step the cause progresses, knowledge of God is extended, the banner of the cross is planted in heathen lands, and seed sown in sorrow yields a bountiful harvest despite hardship and death. God's people also participate in salvation by sacrificing for one another, and the hundredfold includes His care for the self-sacrificing even in famine. Those who suffer for His name are to recognize Christ in their suffering brethren and minister to them as to Him, and such care is evidence of discipleship.

The same reward belongs to humble workers who spend themselves to bring souls to Christ and to faithful stewards who make right use of means for God's work, who share the Saviour's joy, bring a hundredfold return if faithful, and await a glorious and rich reward in the future life in God's kingdom. Standing for truth when it opposes close friends or relatives must not lead anyone to surrender religious convictions or privileges. God will bless and reward such faithfulness with abundant recompense, even a thousandfold, besides the inheritance of everlasting life.