Mark 10:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consider, what is the role of a wife within her husband's household? Primarily, she attends to his nourishment and attire, thus fulfilling her duties. However, observe the lives of the apostles. How many spouses provided for their food and clothing and served them, allowing the apostles to focus solely on preaching and teaching! Similarly, the apostles enjoyed the affection of many fathers and mothers in those who loved and cared for them. Peter alone departed from his home but eventually embraced the homes of all his disciples as his own. He continues to possess illuminated homes throughout the world—temples established in his honor. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the saints received all these blessings while enduring exile, suffering persecution for their faith in Christ. Yet their afflictions were not a source of shame. Those who appeared to be last in this life, due to the trials and adversities they faced, will command a prominent place in the age to come, owing to their unwavering faith in God. The Pharisees, once prioritized, have now become the least, while those who forsook everything to follow Christ have risen to prominence.

However, if a person has an ungodly father, son, or brother who becomes a stumbling block to their faith or a hindrance to their spiritual journey, they should not seek to unite with such individuals, but rather sever such earthly ties due to their spiritual opposition.

In the Gospel of Matthew, St. Peter inquires: "What shall we have?" in light of forsaking all. The Lord responds that at His second coming, they shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Yet, He also assures that all who give up everything for His sake will receive "a hundredfold" and inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:27-29). It is not specified where this hundredfold will be received. However, since the promise of eternal life clearly pertains to the age to come, it can be inferred that the hundredfold recompense likely refers to this present age. St. Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, adds the phrase "in the present age" after the mention of a hundredfold. The lack of promises made to the Apostles (as indicated in Matthew) leads us to believe that the assurances offered to others may also primarily relate to the future age. Nonetheless, this promise does not exclude the Apostles; there is the potential for them to receive in this life a hundredfold alongside all others.

St. Chrysostom points out that certainly, if others will receive such recompense, the Apostles will receive even more, both in this life and the one to come. Furthermore, it contradicts the Lord's teachings to expect a family unit in the future life, even in its purest form, for there will be no marrying or giving in marriage; instead, the essence of spiritual life will transcend human distinctions (Galatians 3:28). In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 18:28-30), St. Peter's question mirrors that found in Mark, and the Lord's response, while concise, promises multipliers for those who forsake all for Him—both in the present life and eternal life to come. Therefore, all three evangelists confirm that those who sacrifice everything for the Lord and His Kingdom are promised not just eternal life, but also, in this life, a hundredfold return for what they have relinquished.

How should we interpret this? The literal fulfillment of this promise seems improbable, particularly given the reality known to all that historically, those who abandoned everything did not receive back a literal hundred brothers, sisters, children, homes, or villages. The expression used indicates that the Savior’s words should not be taken at face value. So, how ought we to interpret them? Observing the abandonment discussed by the Lord, particularly through the example of the Apostles, we recognize such renunciation is typically voluntary—driven by a desire to promote the Kingdom of Christ, as seen with saints like Timothy and Titus. However, if we note the Lord’s subsequent words about the hundredfold recompense "now in exile," we must interpret this as referring to those involuntarily forced to abandon their families due to persecution, driven away by those who are wicked and seek to sever their ties of love and home.

Indeed, those who have suffered in this way likely represent the individuals the Lord had in mind when speaking of the recompense. The hundredfold return, understood in twofold terms, includes: 1) a visible expression through the body of believers and 2) an invisible, spiritual return in an inner sense of well-being. All believers are united, not just outwardly but with a profound sincerity. The bond of love, which is as strong as death, binds them so that each one views others with familial affection. The varying degrees of age, spiritual maturity, gifts, and ministries only highlight the distinct nuances of this love. In this way, an elder in the faith is welcomed as a father, while a new believer receives from the elders paternal and maternal love, while peer relationships offer fraternal and sisterly love.

Thus, anyone who leaves kin for faith finds a multitude of loving connections among believers—hundreds, thousands—since the term "a hundredfold" communicates an abundant, indefinite quantity, as denoted by Luke. Futhermore, the believers, binding themselves through deep mutual love, hold all possessions in common. Consequently, to the newcomer among them, every home is open, every resource shared as if it is their own, leading to an abundance of spiritual wealth. This understanding is echoed by St. Chrysostom, who illustrates that for the Apostles, the fulfillment of this promise meant having access to the resources of all believers, where individuals were ready to lay down their lives for one another, as reflected in Paul's testimony (Galatians 4:15).

Blessed Theophylact supports this interpretation, stating that since the preaching of the Gospel invites strife, leading some to forsake their families for the sake of righteousness, "whoever abandons carnal ties for the Gospel will receive a hundredfold more in this age and inherit eternal life in the age to come" (Commentary on the Gospel of Mark). He notes that instead of a father, one gains Church elders, and instead of a mother, believers anxious for their spiritual welfare. Euthymius Zigabenus holds similar views, reflecting that the hundredfold recompense extends not just concerning visible commodities, but also spiritual blessings, characterized by peace, joy, and grace that surpass material goods.

Both interpretations on the Lord's promise have persistently applied since the inception of Christianity. Initially, Christians lived among nonbelievers and faced exclusion, persecution, and hardships. Today, the application remains similar. For instance, contemporary evangelists leave family behind to preach the Gospel, facing multifaceted challenges. Supported by the sympathy of believers, they find a sense of kinship that transcends their earthly ties, being united in purpose and love far greater than material possessions could provide.

Moreover, one may encounter situations where individuals depart from family life for the purpose of deepening their relationship with Christ, seeking purification from passions by joining communities with shared values. When they sever ties with the world out of devotion to Christ, they experience a reciprocal love from their new community, feeling welcomed and at home, sharing the monastery’s resources.

Lastly, a modern scenario might involve someone standing apart from a family immersed in discord, driven by the spirit of worldly indulgence. If a member, moved by the Lord's call, strives to live righteously, they may find themselves at odds with the family, leading to exclusion. Such individuals, who forsake their ties for Christ's sake, will discover compassion within communities that embody the true spirit of Christ, finding solace in their shared journey. These experiences, though rare, affirm the Lord's promise of mutual kinship and strengthened bonds among believers.

However, as the foundational stones of Christ’s church, the apostles are assured a unique closeness to Christ that is greater than that of other believers (1 Cor. 6:2). All saints are destined to judge the world, but to the apostles, Christ specifically promises that they will share in this judgment as His closest associates. It is important to note that the concept of judgment here should not be narrowly interpreted; rather, it encompasses dominion, authority, majesty, and glory that will be granted to the apostles in the life to come. The twelve tribes of Israel represent God's people, encompassing the true assembly of believers within a peaceful realm; therefore, it serves as a symbolic designation for all genuine followers of Christ (Rev. 21:12).

Addressing not only the Apostles but all individuals who might grapple with this dilemma, Jesus declared: “Everyone who is hindered from following Me by his family—brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children—or by his attachment to wealth, houses, or land, and who sacrifices all these for My sake and the sake of the gospel, will receive a hundredfold in this life, amidst the persecution he will face, along with eternal life in the age to come; but you who have followed me, when the Son of Man sits on His throne in glory, will also sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

Jesus upheld the commandment from the Old Testament to honor one’s parents and instructed His followers to love not only their kin and neighbors but even their adversaries, promoting kindness toward all. Therefore, He could not urge His followers to forsake their parents, spouses, and children unless those relationships impeded their ability to live in accordance with God's will. The obligation to care for one’s spouse, children, and elderly parents is a responsibility that should only be neglected in dire circumstances, namely when the choice lies between denying Christ to comply with the desires of loved ones or leaving them to remain steadfast in faith. In such dire instances, Jesus permitted His followers to sever ties with their family members and released them from their duties to them.

Aware of the difficulty in renouncing familial bonds built upon kinship, friendship, and love, as well as the home of one’s upbringing, Jesus reassures His disciples with the promise that those who forfeit family, home, and land for His sake will discover a hundredfold more fathers, mothers, children, brothers, sisters, houses, and lands in this present life. Indeed, during the early centuries of Christianity, amidst persecution, believers formed a unified family, with all Christians considering one another as siblings in Christ, and each home welcoming fellow believers. Thus, anyone who renounced their household and family for Christ’s sake found refuge in every Christian’s home, where they encountered in the elder members parental affection, peer friendships, and in the younger ones, nurturing relationships. There were surely far more such welcoming homes than the ones they had left behind.

Moreover, beyond this temporary solace following the loss of loved ones, those who prioritize Christ above all will ultimately be rewarded with eternal life in the coming age. This promise extends to all who follow Christ, fully embracing His teachings and believing in Him as Lord and Savior.

‘Truly I say unto you,’ He declared, ‘that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man sits on the throne of His Glory, you shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’