No Man's Debtor and Everyone's Rewarder

UV 590/10,000 No Man’s Debtor “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19 v 29 Many people think that it is a very hard teaching or direction by Jesus that we leave our houses, brothers, sisters, parents, children or fields for His sake. It implies that we need to give priority to the Word and the work of the Lord. That is tantamount in the eyes of the Lord to leaving behind our close family relationships, our houses and fields. The other day in prayer there was such a revelation concerning me that as I had left my family and possessions behind. When I examined myself, I found that I had not literally done so but in my spirit, I had given first place or top priority to the Lord in my life. We need to welcome the Trinity into our homes. The Lord said, “you have always welcomed us into your home. You are taking pains to pray, to read and study the Word and to share the good news of hope to the hopeless. You are teaching the faithful to grow.” The word “ left” does not literally mean leaving physically but it means such a distancing in our thoughts, emotions and actions so that the Lord occupies the first place all the time in our lives. There is no conflict of loyalties or dilemma in our minds when we need to make hard choices: whom to please – the Lord God or the spouse, the Lord God or our boss, the Lord God or our parents, the Lord God or our brothers and sisters, the Lord God or our children or colleagues. We leave these relationships and our attachments to our earthly possessions in order to cleave to the Lord. When we obey the Lord and give Him first place in our lives, He promises to reward our faith and our work. He will give us a rate of return that is 100 to 1. The time, efforts and resources that we expend on the work of the Lord, He will multiply a hundred times. We will receive this blessing of multiplication even in this lifetime. We will receive our portion of the earth’s blessings in proportion to our need, our faith and our work. We will have an extended family consisting of the people of God He brings in contact with us as our spiritual fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children. Our houses and our fields will be blessed. Fields in today’s context does not literally mean farms but the fields or professions in which we are working. The way He will bless us is like a mystery gift wrapped in secrecy and surprise but at the apt moment, it will unfold and unwrap itself to show that the Lord is faithful to His promise. Beyond the rewards or wages of a workman of the Lord in His vineyard, the Lord will give us eternal life. We will receive our inheritance in the kingdom God has prepared for us from the foundation of the world. Eye has not seen nor ear heard the wonders of the inheritance the Lord has reserved for us. In short, it is beyond human perception or comprehension. Whatever we do in the name of the Lord and for His glory or satisfaction is “ for His sake.” He in turn as He likes to be no man’s debtor will reward us many times over, in much greater measure than we can ask or expect. Prateep V Philip