Dear Christian friends:

Does it pay to follow Jesus on the straight and narrow way? In our text one of the disciples of Jesus asked that engaging question of Jesus and Jesus gave him quite an earful for the answer. Like Peter we too, at times may ask, "What is the good of making so many sacrifices to be a Christian?

So let us hear again from Jesus' own words about:


See what these rewards are and remember that these rewards are by grace. The world quite generally believes that, "Honesty is the best policy." That the righteous man is always successful and the wicked man a failure, and this success is demonstrated also in material wealth and luxury. Even Christians seem to go along with this kind of reasoning for when they fail in business and suffer material want or illness you may often hear then cry, "Why did this happen to me? I've always tried to be a Christian and to do what is right."

Especially when a Christian pins in physical want and his ungodly neighbor basks in luxury does this thinking come to the surface. Asaph, the psalmist, expressed it very well when he said: "For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." (Psalm 73:3)

Natural reason thinks that God should always reward his followers with earthly wealth and success. But the history of the people of God and the words of Jesus in our text do not necessarily support that kind of thinking.

Rather Jesus seems to indicate that the rewards of His followers are chiefly of a spiritual nature rather than physical and are to be found in heaven rather than on earth. Jesus says in verse 28, "The twelve apostles will share his heavenly glory and majesty in a special degree and all Christians, according to their works, will share in the eternal majesty of Jesus the King. John says, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (Revelations 14:13)

Daniel 12:3, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." And Jesus said of the good steward in the Gospel, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21)

And after his long and victorious service as Christ's missionary to the Gentiles Paul could say: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

So we hear of the great and precious rewards Jesus has prepared for those that love Him and suffer for Him in this world. Now just because Jesus promises such great and wonderful rewards in heaven does not mean that He has none for us during our pilgrimage through this life on earth. In verse twenty-nine Jesus says, "shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."

If we give up one hour for His sake we will receive a hundred others in the Church of God. If for Jesus' sake we lose friends or brothers or sisters or mother be not dismayed for we will find better brothers in the Church of God, even here on earth.

One day when Jesus was preaching in the temple, His mother and brothers were waiting outside a man came and said, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”(Matthew 12:47-50)

Isn't this a great encouragement to forsake all and follow Jesus! The devil tries to make us think that it does not pay, so when you are tempted to think so, hurry to these words of Jesus and find strength to continue the good fight of faith. If you don't, you will have a bitter surprise one day, if you let the love of money lead you to hell.

Yet in working and suffering for our Lord Jesus to get these great rewards we must be careful not to boast or think we have actually earned them.

In our text Jesus plainly indicates that these rewards are of grace and not of merit. Note here the words of Jesus which describe the motives of His followers, "ye which have followed Me." (verse 28) "for my name's sake." (verse 29) The words which receive the great rewards mentioned before are done gladly by the Christian for the love of Christ the Savior.

If we have another motive, such as personal honor or gain, the good work loses the reward. And we cannot work for Jesus until He graciously calls us by the Gospel and enables us with His gifts.

As Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-10, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." God is the Master Craftsman we sanctified Christians are his workmanship, His masterpiece.

As the sculptor selects the stone and chisels away with tender care and skill to make a beautiful statue, so God in mercy chose us while we were sinful and rebellious and worked upon us with His holy tools, the Word and Sacrament. If we are good we are so by the grace of almighty God.

And so the rewards which God gives now on earth and which He promises after in heaven are rewards of grace. So also in our text Jesus speaks of "inheriting" everlasting life. What we "inherit" we have not earned.

So let us not boast, but walk humbly with our God. For He adds the warning: "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (verse 30) Those who expect so much from God and grumble when they don't get it take heed. And if you are a good church worker take special care.

And you who are poor church workers may be thinking if the last are to be first, I may as well do nothing then I won't be tempted to be prideful and I may be first anyhow. You who think that way listen to this: You cannot earn heaven or the rewards of faith by your works, that is true, but you can forfeit this grace and the rewards by laziness and carelessness or plain unbelief. You cannot earn heaven by being a good steward, but you can sure lose it by being a bad one.

So let us all do as St. Paul admonishes: "Work out your own own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)

Amen.