When Leaving Leads to Gaining: Trusting Jesus with Your Sacrifice

Scripture Focus: Mark 10:28–31

“Then Peter began to say to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You.’ So Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 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. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’” – Mark 10:28–31 (NKJV)

Peter’s words feel all too familiar.

“Lord, we left everything.”

It wasn’t just fishing nets or old routines—they left behind identity, familiarity, comfort, and safety. And for what? For Someone they believed was worth it.

If I’m honest, I’ve whispered the same thing Peter did:

“God, I let that go for You. I walked away from what felt safe. I gave up my dream. I said yes when it hurt. Was it worth it?”

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Peter. He doesn’t minimize the cost. Instead, He responds with both a promise and a warning—a reminder that in the Kingdom of God, surrender leads to gain, but that gain is shaped differently than we expect.

1. Jesus Sees What You’ve Left

There’s deep reassurance in knowing that Jesus sees what it cost you to follow Him.

The list He gives—“house, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands…”—shows us He’s not vague. He names the things that matter most. The real stuff. Not just material things, but relationships, comfort, identity, legacy.

But He doesn’t leave it there. He promises that “no one” who has given these things up for His sake and the sake of the gospel will go without reward.

Following Jesus is never loss without return.

As commentator William Lane put it in the NICNT,

“Jesus does not deny the cost of discipleship, but insists that such sacrifice becomes the occasion for discovering the depth of God’s provision and fellowship in the kingdom.”

When we surrender, God multiplies—in His way, and in His time.

2. The Kingdom Economy Includes Persecutions

Jesus continues in verse 30:

“…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.”

We often celebrate the hundredfold return—but miss the weight of that small phrase: “with persecutions.”

This is where Jesus flips the world’s idea of blessing.

Yes, He promises abundance, but not absent of adversity. The hundredfold includes community, provision, and restoration—but it also includes resistance, rejection, and hardship.

Persecutions are not a possibility—they are part of the promise.

And that’s not an easy truth to swallow in a culture that often equates God’s favor with a life of ease. But the early church understood it well. 2 Timothy 3:12 says,

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

That’s not just for the apostles or missionaries—it’s for all of us.

To follow Christ is to go against the grain. And going against the grain means facing friction.

David E. Garland, in the NIV Application Commentary, wrote,

“The reward is not a life of ease but a deeper identification with Christ, including His suffering. The abundance Jesus offers cannot be separated from the cost.”

Let that settle in your heart: the gain comes with a cross.

But the cross also comes with Christ. And He’s worth it.

3. Is He Worth What You’ve Left Behind?

This is the real question.

Is Jesus worth it?

The approval you lost, the opportunities you declined, the relationships you outgrew—all because you wanted to obey Him—was it worth it?

The answer from Scripture, from the apostles, from generations of believers, and from the mouth of Jesus Himself is a resounding yes.

Not only will you receive more than you can imagine—you receive Him.

And He’s the only reward that never fades.

4. Reflect and Respond

This isn’t a feel-good gospel. This is the true gospel:

One of surrender and reward, hardship and glory, obedience and grace.

Take a moment to reflect:

• What have you had to leave behind to follow Jesus?

• Have you seen how He’s already begun to restore or multiply that in your life?

• Are you prepared to endure persecution for His name’s sake—even if it’s uncomfortable or costly?

• Where do you need to shift your expectations to align with God’s Kingdom economy?

5. A Small Step This Week

Take 10 minutes today to write down the things you’ve let go of in your walk with Christ. Then beside each one, ask God to show you what He’s done—or is doing—in place of what was lost.

Also, ask the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart for the persecution that may come—not in fear, but with faith. Persecution is not evidence of failure, but of fidelity.

Jesus never promised ease.

He promised Himself.

And in Him, there is fullness of life—now and forever.

Final Word

The road of surrender is narrow. It’s not always celebrated. It often comes with tears, misunderstandings, and yes—persecutions.

But it also comes with the presence of Christ. It comes with Kingdom family. It comes with purpose and eternal reward.

So if you’re wondering whether your “yes” to God was worth it—Look again at the One you said yes to.

He is.

He always will be.

From A daughter’s Broken Heart,

💔Shae

Commentary References

1. William L. Lane – The Gospel According to Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)

• Quote: “Jesus does not deny the cost of discipleship, but insists that such sacrifice becomes the occasion for discovering the depth of God’s provision and fellowship in the kingdom.”

• Citation: Lane, William L. The Gospel

According to Mark. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

2. David E. Garland – Mark (The NIV Application Commentary)

• Quote: “The reward is not a life of ease but a deeper identification with Christ, including His suffering. The abundance Jesus offers cannot be separated from the cost.”

• Citation: Garland, David E. Mark. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.