“I tell you,” said Jesus, “there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, for my sake and for the good news,
an incomplete verse
set up a yet unknown
reversal of fortune
unless of course
it is a fulfillmentassurance is one thing
that can be offered
and not received
until its time has come
and become beside the pointwhat we mean by everything
is always conditioned
in light of economics
valuing tomorrow’s innovations
over and above today’s limitsfor person and cause
we commit our resources
in expectation of more
than mere replacement
an extravagant eternity more
There is translational trouble with the Greek that comes not only from the length of the rebuttal, but its double negative construct. Still, the variants in Matthew and Luke indicate that this is not a direct quote but a list that simply points a direction and can be added to with friends or hometown or political party or ….
The last phrase can get played a couple of ways. The word “because” above ἕνεκα (heneka, for the sake of, for the cause of) can be “treated either as causal ‘because of me…’ or purposive ‘for the benefit of…’ In some instances for my sake and for the gospel may be combined as ‘to help me and good news’.” ~Bratcher327
This soft response to a very hard question can be seen to first diffuse the anger at having been caught out about why Peter and others agreed to sign on in the first place. It wasn’t just the charisma of Jesus or a trusting response to a call or a way out of current situation. This self orientation can go a long way in explaining the apparent obtuseness of the disciples in regard to the healings, teachings, and signs Jesus has presented in their presence.
When our expectations are that our investment will be returned many times over, more than FICA guaranteed, there is no need to work at discerning how the presence of Life differs from the necessities of living. It is all going to be taken care of. And, then, along comes a winsome, wealthy, person and he is the cause of a pronouncement that discounts our expectation.
Well, it’s just not fair! Such an assurance is not believable.