Mark 10:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: who will 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.

NIV: will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--along with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life.

NASB: but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

CSB: who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions--and eternal life in the age to come.

NLT: will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property — along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

KJV: But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

NKJV: who 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.

When Jesus promises a hundredfold houses, He doesn't mean all Christians will become real estate magnates. He is referring to the community of the church which is designed to share (Acts 2:45) and show hospitality (3 John). When Jesus promises an extended family, He means fellow believers. When Jesus' mother and brothers want Him to stop teaching and return to Nazareth, He turns to His followers and says, "For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:35).

The last bit of Jesus' promise puts things into perspective. The blessings of being a part of the church will be significant, but they will be hard-earned. Church tradition claims that all but one of the disciples, John, gave up not only family and possessions but their lives for Jesus and the gospel. Jesus' sacrifice makes the church possible; the disciples' suffering and sacrifice make the church spread (Colossians 1:24).

For those who are willing to sacrifice their earthly comforts and their lives for Jesus, the rewards of eternal life are more than we could imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9). Matthew adds that the Twelve will "sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28). Paul says the blessings of heaven dwarf earthly troubles into irrelevance (Romans 8:18).

This is hard to accept when the blessings and struggles of the world are right in front of us. False teachers prey on the fears and greed of others by twisting this passage. Frauds say that if we give to the kingdom of God—of course, via that person's organization—God will bless the giver with riches. The prosperity gospel claims that the good news is found in money. In truth, those who teach it are "puffed up with conceit and [understand] nothing" (1 Timothy 6:4) and imagine "that godliness is a means of gain" (1 Timothy 6:5b).

In contrast, Paul asserts that "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). He also says that "those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9).

Those who give to God so that God will give them more have the same selfish heart as the rich young man who keeps what he had from God.

Mark 10:17–31 begins as Jesus is trying to teach the disciples that God's kingdom values the powerless (Mark 9:36–37), the faithful (Mark 9:38–41), women (Mark 10:1–12), and children (Mark 10:13–16). The disciples, perhaps, are distracted by the many people who want to arrest or kill Jesus (John 7:32–52; 8:58–59; 10:22–39; 11:45–54; Luke 13:31). A wealthy young man asks Jesus about eternal life—and gets an unexpected answer in return. His response to Jesus' answer shows that his interest in God is limited by one thing: his money. Through all of history, wealth has been assumed to suggest the favor of God. But Jesus reveals that those whom God blesses often value the gifts more than the Giver. This story is also in Matthew 19:16–30 and Luke 18:18–30.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.