God promises to bless you richly. Did you know that? We can be sure this is God's plan for you because Jesus pledges it, very firmly!
But what kind of prosperity does he guarantee? How does money fit into it? Are the prosperity gospel preachers so beloved in parts of the US – and to a lesser extent in the UK – correct? What does it all mean for you?
A rich young man once walked away from Jesus because he couldn't bear to part with his wealth – the one thing that was getting in the way of him following Christ properly.
This prompts a conversation in which Jesus warns his disciples: "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:23). As he listens, Peter – ever the one to react in a slightly hot-headed way – starts to fume: "Look," he says, "we have left everything and followed you!" (v28). He and his friends had left behind ships and nets in Galilee. Did following Jesus just mean destitution? And in response Jesus says these things:
1. You will enjoy unique relationships. Jesus replies to Peter in this way: "Truly I tell you, there is no-one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age" including "brothers and sisters, mothers and children..."
Ever walked into a church for a first time (perhaps as a visitor, or having moved to the area) and left after the service having experienced a unique kinship and bond with others? I can remember having done this in places as diverse as the UAE, Israel and Tanzania. There's an instant intimacy that joins true followers of Jesus as family.
2. You will enjoy unique material blessings. Jesus lists not only relational blessings but physical ones too, mentioning "houses and fields" (v30) as part of what his disciples will receive "a hundredfold". Given the context in which Jesus is speaking – and indeed the rest of the New Testament – he plainly doesn't mean we'll all acquire ownership of 100 properties if we have to leave our home to work elsewhere for him.
As former Bishop Tom Wright says, this is talking about the fact that as believers, the homes of other Christians may well be opened up for us to share, use and enjoy in all sorts of contexts. This weekend our house, which is in a beautifully scenic part of Britain, will be a temporary home for a visiting preacher. Over the years, we ourselves have enjoyed lovely times away in stunning parts of the UK as fellow believers have opened their homes to us.
3. You will face unique suffering. But there's a challenge. Into the mix of blessings that he offers, Jesus throws in another word too – "persecutions" (v30). Following him, he says, will inevitably bring hardship in some way. In fact, as the apostle Paul later says, "everyone who wants to lead a godly life will be persecuted," (2 Timothy 3:12). Whether it is jibes or discrimination at work, or even physical torture or death, suffering will come in many and varied ways to all who follow Christ. We have been warned!
4. You will enjoy a unique intimacy with God. Pain is not the end of the story, however. The Christian faith is about suffering – then glory; about a cross – then a crown. After persecution, Jesus says, there is, "in the age to come, eternal life," (v30). This does not mean forever wafting round on clouds in some vague, floating, post-death existence. "Now this is eternal life," we read in John 17:3, "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." It means intimacy with God, both now and infinitely more so in the age to come.
So the prosperity gospel preachers are half right: Jesus does promise his followers blessings. But this doesn't include guaranteed ownership of anything, nor an ever-expanding bank balance. What Jesus offers is far richer than that and far longer-lasting – but also much more challenging, with its warning of persecution.
A modern version of the 8th century Irish hymn Be thou my vision is worth reading prayerfully: "I need no riches, nor earth's empty praise: You're my inheritance through all my days; all of Your treasure to me You impart, High King of heaven, the first in my heart." And it concludes: "High King of heaven, when battle is done, grant heaven's joy to me, bright heaven's sun; Christ of my own heart, whatever befall: still be my vision, O Ruler of all."
