Message summary: Whatever you think is absolutely necessary for fulfillment in this life is nothing compared to knowing Christ. 

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"Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and have followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:28-30). “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Yesterday afternoon I went to an auction for a farm held in our neighborhood. This is the same farm where we met our good friends, Jesse and Anna Ruth, in early 2003 just after they were married. It was last auctioned off around 2009 and for many years has been a commercial flower farm. Now it was up for sale again and out of curiosity, as well as to visit with neighbors I expected to be there, I went over to witness it.

Bidding for the 91.3 acre farm began at $20,000 per acre or $1,826,000 (for all) and it went up from there.* I certainly was not a potential bidder. I can't understand the fast spoken words during the auctioneer chant that is made up of the current bid, a filler word, and the next price to bid on. I'd be afraid my hand went up at the wrong time and I'd agreed to buy something I hadn't planned on. And how do you pull out of a mistaken offer?

The first daily Scripture portion mentions "farms" prompting our study today.  I don't believe I ever preached from it and I can only recall hearing it preached on one time, as a student in Bible College. It was a black preacher from the city and he humorously mentioned he didn't know anything about farms and he could do without them. (Although none of us can do without farms!) We have several farmer friends and, in the case of the agriculturally-based Bible era, it is very purposefully placed here by our Lord.

The verse describes the great price for following Christ that very few reading this have ever had to make. Yet throughout history, and even in our modern day, many have made such a sacrifice. (Consider the tremendous price paid by converts to Christ from the Islam religion.)

Now I admit there are very difficult interpretive aspects to this verse specifically the sense of the phrase, "that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age". 

It seems the main point is not that we must leave that which we cherish so much on this earth, but if we are called to do so, our willingness to surrender that which we value most in this life will bring us unspeakable joy, provide lasting worth, and will far exceed anything we value here and now, and in the age to come, eternal life".

So today I urge you to place and to keep your faith in Christ. Whatever you think is absolutely necessary for fulfillment in this life is nothing compared to knowing Christ. I end with the Apostle Paul's powerful perspective: "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8).

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13