And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matthew 19:29)
Compare Job 42:10; Luke 18:30. Jesus is obviously speaking in figurative language. Approximately a year and a half before this, Jesus had observed that those who do the will of His Father in heaven are His “mother” and “sister” and “brother” (see Matt. 12:46-50). The “hundredfold” that Christians receive in this life consists in the joy of Christian fellowship and in the more real and intense satisfaction that comes with service for God. Paul speaks of “having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:10).
The disciples had forsaken house and family that they might follow Jesus (see on Luke 5:11), not in the sense of leaving their families destitute, but rather in the sense of making the service of Christ their primary objective. Shortly before Jesus had stated this requirement of discipleship in even stronger terms (see on Luke 14:26).
Everlasting life.
See on John 3:16; 6:27. When a man gives up all to follow Christ, he receives in return “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). Similarly, this was what Jesus had done in order to make the plan of salvation possible (Phil. 2:6-8).