Mark 10:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Typically, she attends to her husband’s nourishment and garments, fulfilling her obligations in this regard. Yet, look at the apostles. How many wives supported them with their clothing and sustenance, allowing the apostles to focus solely on preaching and teaching! Similarly, the apostles embraced many parents, as all who loved and cared for them became like family. Peter initially left his home but later inherited all the abodes of his disciples. He continues to have illuminated homes across the globe—temples established in his name. Moreover, it is significant that the saints acquired all this while in exile, suffering persecution for their faith in Christ, enduring great hardships, yet their trials were not seen as disgraceful. Those who appeared to be last in this life, owing to the tribulations and persecutions they faced, will be first in the next age due to their steadfast faith in God. The Pharisees, who once held prominence, became last, while those who surrendered everything to follow Christ were exalted to the first place.

In Matthew, Peter queries, “What will we have?” upon forsaking all, to which the Lord responds that, at His return, they will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. The Lord assures that anyone who sacrifices everything for His sake will receive “a hundredfold” and inherit eternal life (see Matthew 19:27-29). The specific context of the hundredfold reward is not directly stated, but since it is paired with eternal life—which surely pertains to the age to come—it may be inferred that the hundredfold recompense relates to this life.

St. Chrysostom comments on this verse, adding that the phrase “he shall receive a hundredfold” is to be understood as “in the present age.” It is not because nothing is promised to the Apostles in this life, as derived from Matthew, that we must assume all others' promises are reserved for the age to come. Yet, the promise extends to the Apostles; it can be construed as saying that they too will not only sit on thrones but also experience a hundredfold reward in their lives. St. Chrysostom argues that if others receive recompense, then undoubtedly the Apostles will receive theirs as well—in both present and future contexts.

Moreover, anticipating familial relationships in the age to come contradicts Christ’s teaching. In the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage, illustrating a realm where spiritual existence transcends earthly relationships, signified by Paul’s assertion that “there is neither male nor female” (Galatians 3:28). In Luke’s Gospel (see Luke 18:28-30), Peter's question is mirrored, and the Lord’s answer, while succinct, mirrors Mark’s response, promising those who forsake all for His kingdom a hundredfold in this time and eternal life in the age to come. Thus, across all Evangelists, it is confirmed that those who forsake worldly possessions for the Lord will receive not only eternal life, but also, in this life, a hundredfold or multitudes of what they leave behind.

How should we interpret this? A literal fulfillment of this promise cannot be expected; not only in contemporary times is it evident that such a recompense isn't realized, but even among those who first heard Jesus, there was no anticipation that they would receive back countless siblings and possessions upon leaving their families. The very way the Lord communicates His promise implies a non-literal understanding. The abandonment He refers to, as exemplified by the Apostles, is voluntary, chosen for the sake of advancing Christ’s message, which includes figures like saints Timothy and Titus.

Considering the subsequent references to receiving a hundredfold reward in this exile, involuntary abandonment—forced by persecution—holds particular relevance. Persecutors often drove believers from their homes and families, depriving them of love and support. This greater number likely formed the backdrop of the Lord’s words on recompense. The hundredfold return involves both visible and invisible aspects: the visible refers to the community of believers who become a new family, while the invisible signifies the internal sense of well-being that such love fosters. Believers are united in a bond of love, akin to that of a family, where every elder is honored as a father and every younger member as a beloved child. Hence, anyone forsaking familial ties for Christ finds a multitude of new relationships among the faithful, experiencing a profound sense of belonging.

St. Chrysostom clarifies that, for the Apostles, their new reality meant having stewardship over the community's goods and hearts—believers willingly offering everything for the sake of their love and service. Blessed Theophylact enriches this interpretation, acknowledging that the Gospel often incited conflict, forcing individuals to shun earthly ties for spiritual loyalty. In turn, those who forsake familial bonds will receive a hundredfold more spiritual love and connection from the faithful, as well as the promise of eternal life.

Euthymius Zigabenus echoes this sentiment and posits that individuals receive countless blessings through shared love within the body of Christ, despite quitting their past familial connections. They gain spiritual wealth that outweighs observable possessions, as it’s the internal sense of peace, joy, and grace from God that enriches their souls, far exceeding any material wealth they have left behind.

Both interpretations of the Lord's promise have historically been applicable, particularly during the early Christian era amidst rampant persecution. Nowadays, similar situations arise even among believers. There are those who leave behind their familial bonds to preach the Gospel in harsh regions, yet they find affirmation and kinship within the community of faith. It’s the unseen graces that sustain them through trials, proving far greater than mere worldly comforts.

Additionally, modern scenarios involve individuals leaving the familial sphere that no longer nurtures faith, instead finding their true family among those in the body of Christ. They may face opposition from family members but will discover a new network of support among fellow believers, who will provide encouragement during their challenges.

These examples reflect the truth that genuine abandonment of worldly attachments for Christ's sake results in vast spiritual rewards, confirming the Lord's promise of support and love throughout one’s journey of faith.

As the foundational stones of Christ’s church, the apostles are assured a unique closeness to Christ compared to other believers (1 Cor. 6:2). Moreover, all saints are destined to judge the world, with Christ specifically assuring the apostles that they shall be the closest allies in this judgment. It is essential to note that this judgment should not be restricted to the conventional sense; rather, it symbolizes the authority, power, majesty, and glory that will be bestowed upon the apostles generally in the future. The twelve tribes of Israel represent the people of God and the assembly of genuine believers, reflecting the symbolic identity of all true followers of Christ (Rev. 21:12).

In response, Jesus not only spoke to the apostles but to all who might ponder this matter, saying, “Everyone who is hindered from following Me by his brothers or sisters, or by his father or mother or wife or children, or by his attachment to his wealth, house or land, and who forsakes all these things for My sake and My gospel, will receive in this same life, here on earth, in the midst of the persecution awaiting him, a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers and mothers and children and lands, and in the age to come Eternal Life; But you who have followed me, in the future age, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

Jesus affirmed the Old Testament command to honor one’s parents and instructed His followers to love not only their family and neighbors but even their adversaries, urging them to show kindness. Thus, He could not call upon His disciples to abandon their family—parents, spouse, and children—unless those relationships obstructed them from living in accordance with God’s will. Responsibility towards spouses, children, and aging parents is a commitment that should only be set aside in extreme circumstances, where one faces the choice of denying Christ to conform to the wishes of loved ones or forsaking those relationships to remain faithful to Him. In such scenarios, Jesus permitted individuals to distance themselves from their relatives and relieved them of familial obligations.

Understanding the difficulty of detaching from family ties woven from kinship, friendship, and love, as well as leaving behind one’s childhood home, Jesus offers reassurance with the promise that those who sacrifice family, home, and land for His sake will find a hundredfold more fathers, mothers, children, brothers, sisters, houses, and lands in this life. In the early centuries of Christianity, amidst persecution, believers formed a collective family, united as brothers and sisters in Christ, with each Christian home open to one another. Therefore, anyone who relinquished their home and family for Christ’s sake would be welcomed into any household of fellow believers as if it were their own. There, they would find older individuals embodying parental love, peers as brothers and sisters, and younger ones as their children, resulting in a multitude of familial connections far exceeding those they had lost.

Moreover, beyond this temporal consolation following their losses, those who prioritize Christ over all else will be granted eternal life in the age to come. This is the promise extended to all of Christ’s followers who, grounded in His teachings, believe in Him wholeheartedly as God.

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

The bonds formed through faith are far more precious and enduring than those of blood relations or earthly attachments, especially if such ties impede a devoted religious life. Therefore, those who give up these worldly connections receive a great reward in the form of spiritual kinship; they can gain brothers, sisters, and spiritual parents and children who become even more significant in their lives. This promise pertains to the present time, especially amid the trials that, as foretold by Christ, the Apostles and His followers would face.

When applying this message to all Christians across different eras, it is essential to interpret these teachings in a way that highlights that true disciples of Christ, who willingly relinquish anything obstructing their commitment to Him, no matter how cherished, will discover immense rewards through the spiritual gifts available within the body of Christ. Furthermore, in the life to come, they will experience eternal life and everlasting joy in the presence of Jesus Christ, God Himself, and alongside all the saints.