Bible Strands
Luke 18:28
“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Peter speaks to Jesus immediately after Jesus declares that salvation is impossible for man but possible for God. The exchange occurs during a teaching moment on the road to Jerusalem as Jesus prepares his disciples for the cost of discipleship.
The words — The Greek ἀφέντες (aphentes) literally means "having abandoned," while ἰδοὺ (idou) serves as an attention-drawing "Behold" or "Look." These terms frame Peter’s statement as a deliberate accounting of what was surrendered.
The thread — This declaration runs parallel to Peter’s identical claim in Matthew 19:27 and Mark 10:28, and aligns with Paul’s later assessment in Philippians 3:7 of counting all prior gain as loss for Christ. The parallel accounts preserve a consistent early tradition regarding the apostles' radical departure from their former lives.
Why it lands — The text records a factual claim about total surrender rather than offering a theological proof or emotional appeal. It requires the reader to acknowledge that following Jesus entails a definitive break with prior possessions and relationships.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
Cross-references
- Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”
- Philippians 3:7 But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
- Matthew 19:27 “Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
- Luke 5:11 And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.
- Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
- Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.