Down with divorce!

1Then He set out from there and came into the borders of Judea, by way of the other side of the Jordan. Again, crowds gathered to Him, and as was His custom, He began to teach them once more.

2Then some Pharisees approached to test Him and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce a wife?”

3So in answer He said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

4They said, “Moses permitted one to write a certificate of divorce and to put away.” ¹⁹¹

5Jesus answered and said to them: “It was due to your hardness of heart that he wrote you this precept.

6But from the beginning of creation, God made them a male and a female. ¹⁹²

7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8and the two will be turned into one flesh.’ ¹⁹³So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.

9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

10When they were in the house again, His disciples asked Him about the same subject.

11So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;

12and if a woman divorces her husband and gets married to another, she commits adultery.” ¹⁹⁴

Jesus blesses little children

13People started bringing little children to Him, that He might touch them; so the disciples started rebuking those doing the bringing.

14But when Jesus saw it He was indignant and said to them: “Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them, because the Kingdom of God is made up of such.

15I tell you assuredly, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child does ¹⁹⁵will certainly not enter it.”

16And taking them in His arms and laying His hands on them, He blessed them. ¹⁹⁶

A rich young man

17As Jesus set out on the road, someone came running up, knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

18So Jesus said to Him: “Why do you call me ‘good’? ¹⁹⁷No one is good except one—God.

19You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not give false testimony,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’ ” ¹⁹⁸

20In answer he said to Him, “Teacher, ¹⁹⁹I have kept all these since I was young.”

21Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, ²⁰⁰and said to him: “One thing you lack; go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, take up the cross, ²⁰¹and follow me.”

22But he was dismayed at the suggestion and went away sorrowing, because he had many possessions. ²⁰²

23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to get into the Kingdom of God!”

24But the disciples were astounded at His words. So Jesus tried again and said to them: “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches ²⁰³to enter the Kingdom of God.

25It is actually easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” ²⁰⁴

26Then they were totally astonished, saying to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; because all things are possible with God.”

It pays to serve Jesus

28Then Peter began to say to Him, “So, we have left all and followed you.”

29In answer Jesus said: “I tell you assuredly, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife ²⁰⁵or children or fields, for my sake and for that of the Gospel,

30who will not receive a hundred times more, ²⁰⁶now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and father and mother ²⁰⁷and children and fields (with persecutions)—and in the age to come, eternal life.

31But many first will be last, and last first.” ²⁰⁸

Jesus predicts His death a third time

32Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going ahead of them; this surprised them, ²⁰⁹and as they followed they started to be afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that were about to happen to Him:

33“Take note, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of the Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles;

34and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And on the third day He will rise again.” ²¹⁰

Selfish ambition rebuked

35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we may ask.”

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

37They said to Him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory.” ²¹¹

38But 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?”

39They said to Him, “We are able.” ²¹²So Jesus said to them: “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;

40but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to grant, but is for whom it has been prepared.” ²¹³

41Well when the ten heard it they began to be indignant with James and John. ²¹⁴

42But Jesus summoned them and said to them: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

43But it must not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant,

44and whoever desires to be your number one must be slave of all.

45For even the Son of the Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” ²¹⁵

Blind Bartimaeus

46They came to Jericho. Then as He was going out from Jericho, ²¹⁶with His disciples and a large crowd, the blind Bartimaeus ²¹⁷(son of Timaeus) was sitting by the roadside begging.

47And when he heard that it was Jesus the Natsorean, ²¹⁸he began to call out and say, “O Son of David, ²¹⁹Jesus, have mercy on me!”

48Many started telling him to shut up, but he started calling out even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49So Jesus stood still and said to call him. Then they called the blind man, saying to him: “Courage! Get up! He's calling you!”

50Tossing off his cloak, ²²⁰he got up and went to Jesus.

51Jesus reacted by saying to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” ²²¹The blind man said to Him, “Rabouni, ²²²that I may see again!”

52So Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has healed you.” And immediately he could see, and followed Jesus on the road.