10
Questions About Divorce
1 Jesus then rose from there and went to the region of Judea, traveling through the region beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered around him again. And again he taught them, as he was accustomed to do.
2 Then some Pharisees came up to Jesus and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 But Jesus answered them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
6 But from the beginning of creation, God ‘made them male and female.’
7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So then, they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10 When they were back in the house, Jesus' disciples asked him about the same subject.
11 So he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.
12 And if a woman divorces her husband and gets married to another, she commits adultery.”
Let the Little Children Come to Me
13 Now people were bringing children to Jesus so that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them.
14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will certainly not enter it.”
16 And taking the children in his arms, he laid his hands on them and blessed them.
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As he was setting out on the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 Jesus said to him, “Why do yoʋ call me good? No one is good except God alone.
19 Yoʋ know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor yoʋr father and mother.’ ”
20 The man answered him, “Teacher, I have kept all these commandments from the time I was a young boy.”
21 As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for the man and said to him, “One thing yoʋ lack: Go and sell all that yoʋ have and give to the poor, and yoʋ will have treasure in heaven. Then take up yoʋr cross and come follow me.”
22 But the man was dejected by what Jesus said and went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 They were completely astonished at this and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed yoʋ.”
29 Jesus answered, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,
30 who will not receive now in this age a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
32 Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them, and they were amazed. But as they followed they became afraid. Again he took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to him:
33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles.
34 They will mock him, flog him, spit on him, and kill him. But on the third day he will rise again.”
The Request of James and John
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want yoʋ to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 So he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37 They said to him, “Grant that one of us may sit on yoʋr right and the other on yoʋr left in yoʋr glory.”
38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
39 They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with,
40 but to sit on my right and on my left is not mine to give, but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard this, they started becoming indignant with James and John.
42 So Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
43 But it shall not be so among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all.
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
46 Then they came to Jericho. Now as Jesus was leaving Jericho, along with his disciples and a large crowd, the blind man Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road begging.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!”
48 Many people began rebuking him, telling him to be silent, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Then Jesus stopped and asked for him to be called over. So they called out to the blind man and said to him, “Take courage and get up; he is calling for yoʋ.”
50 Throwing off his cloak, he rose and came to Jesus.
51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do yoʋ want me to do for yoʋ?” The blind man said to him, “Rabboni, I want to receive my sight.”
52 Jesus said to him, “Go; yoʋr faith has healed yoʋ.” Immediately he received his sight and began following Jesus on the road.