Teaching about Divorce

(Matthew 19:1-12)

1Then Jesusa left that place and went into the territory of Judea on the other sideb of the Jordan. Crowds gathered around him as usual, and he began to teach them again as was his custom. 2Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3“What did Moses command you?” he responded.

4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to divorce her.”c

5But Jesus told them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that he wrote this command for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘Godd made them male and female.’e 7That’s why ‘a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.’f So they’re no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”

10Back in the house, the disciples asked him about this again. 11So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12And if a womang divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses the Little Children

(Matthew 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17)

13Some peopleh were bringing little children to Jesusi to have him touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who broughtj them. 14When Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these. 15I tell all of youk with certainty, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16Then after he had hugged the children,l he tenderly blessed them as he laid his hands on them.

A Rich Man Comes to Jesus

(Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 18:18-30)

17As Jesusm was setting out again,n a man ran up to him, knelt down in front of him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Nobody is good except for one—God. 19You know the commandments: ‘Never murder.’o ‘Never commit adultery.’p ‘Never steal.’q ‘Never give false testimony.’r ‘Never cheat.’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’”s

20The mant replied to him, “Teacher, I have obeyed all of these since I was a young man.”

21Jesus looked at him and loved him. Then he told him, “You’re missing one thing. Go and sell everything you own, give the moneyu to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.” 22Shocked at this statement, the manv went away sad, because he had many possessions.

Salvation and Reward

(Matthew 19:23-26; Luke 18:24-30)

23Then Jesus looked around and told his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The disciples were startled by these words, but Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their wealthw to get into the kingdom of God! 25It’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”

26The disciplesx were utterly amazed and asked one another,y “Then who can be saved?”

27Jesus looked at them intently and said, “For humans it’s impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”

28Then Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “I tell all of youz with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the gospel 30who will not receive a hundred times as much here in this world—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecution—as well as eternal life in the age to come. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

32Now Jesus and his disciplesaa had been on the road going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking ahead of them. They were astonished, and the others who followed were afraid.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time

(Matthew 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-34)

Once again, Jesusbb took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33“Pay attention! We’re going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and the scribes, and they’ll condemn him to death. Then they’ll hand him over to the unbelievers,cc 34and they’ll make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he’ll be raised.”

The Request of James and John

(Matthew 20:20-28)

35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesusdd and told him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”

36He asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

37They asked him, “Let us sit in your glory, one on your right and one on your left.”

38But Jesus told them, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink from the cup that I’m going to drink from or be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized?”

39They told him, “We can.”

Jesus told them, “You will drink from the cup that I’m going to drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized. 40But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right or my left. Those positions have already been prepared for others.”

41When the ten other disciplesee heard this, they began to be furious with James and John. 42Jesus called his disciplesff and told them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers among the unbelieversgg lord it over them, and their superiors act like tyrants over them. 43That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to everyone, 45because even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

(Matthew 20:29-34; Luke 18:35-43)

46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus,hh his disciples, and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road. 47When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many people sternly told him to be quiet, but he started shouting even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49So Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!”

So they called the blind man and told him, “Have courage! Get up. He’s calling you.” 50He threw off his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus.

51Then Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man told him, “Rabbouni,ii I want to see again.”

52Jesus told him, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” At once the manjj could see again, and he began to follow Jesuskk down the road.