“’Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.'” Mark 10:29-30

The word is expressed REGULARLY and OFTEN in my house! And I ‘m not talking about ‘The Bible’ right now! It is the word, “HUH?” And it’s not just me! It comes from my lovely bride’s mouth almost as much as my own! Something is said, it is not clearly heard, therefore the next word is naturally logical… “Huh?” That is ‘IF’ the other person ‘REALLY CARES’ enough to know the will of the speaker.

Not usually one to defer responsibility or deflect failure, I admit my inadequacies. As an inherited trait, I don’t hear very well. My father wore hearing aids… now I do! It seems the older I get the less I can hear, smell, taste or stay awake! I don’t mind saying that Katie is superior to me in all those areas. But she is unwilling to admit that her hearing is beginning to wane. I’m yelling more!

“I can’t find my keys,” is a common statement from both of our mouths. “Huh?” is the response, because we love each other and want to know what was just said. No judgment or anger. Simply a request for clarification. In today’s Bible verse, I find Jesus, once again, responding to a “HUH?” from His people! I can tell when He starts off with, “TRULY TRULY!” It sounds like “HEY!”

The lesson Jesus is trying to get across is one that I proclaim more than any other. It is littered all through both Old and New Testaments. And so much so, that if that 1 message WAS litter all gathered together, the Bible would look like a dump! “HUH?” You say? But yes… you heard me! The message of serving the Master and the reward that comes with it is SHOUTED from His Word!

The central theme of today’s world is selfishness. I, Me and My are favorites that, even when not spoken, are clearly evident. And Jesus pulls ZERO punches. He says that ‘following me means SERVING me.’ And that ‘serving me WILL get you into harm’s way in the form of persecution.’ BUT HEY!!!! The REWARDS are HUGE! Even here and NOW! “Hmmmm…. did I hear that right?”

Did you?