1 And rising up, he went from there into the area of Judea beyond the Jordan. And again, the crowd came together before him. And just as he was accustomed to do, again he taught them.
2 And approaching, the Pharisees questioned him, testing him: “Is it lawful for a man to dismiss his wife?”
3 But in response, he said to them, “What did Moses instruct you?”
4 And they said, “Moses gave permission to write a bill of divorce and to dismiss her.”
5 But Jesus responded by saying: “It was due to the hardness of your heart that he wrote that precept for you.
6 But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
7 Because of this, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife.
8 And these two shall be one in flesh. And so, they are now, not two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.”
10 And again, in the house, his disciples questioned him about the same thing.
11 And he said to them: “Whoever dismisses his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her.
12 And if a wife dismisses her husband, and is married to another, she commits adultery.”
13 And they brought to him the little children, so that he might touch them. But the disciples admonished those who brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, he took offense, and he said to them: “Allow the little ones to come to me, and do not prohibit them. For of such as these is the kingdom of God.
15 Amen I say to you, whoever will not accept the kingdom of God like a little child, will not enter into it.”
16 And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.
Jesus Blesses the Children 17 And when he had departed on the way, a certain one, running up and kneeling before him, asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do, so that I may secure eternal life?”
18 But Jesus said to him, “Why call me good? No one is good except the one God.
19 You know the precepts: “Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not speak false testimony. Do not deceive. Honor your father and mother.”
20 But in response, he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, gazing at him, loved him, and he said to him: “One thing is lacking to you. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.”
22 But he went away grieving, having been greatly saddened by the word. For he had many possessions.
23 And Jesus, looking around, said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God!”
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus, answering again, said to them: “Little sons, how difficult it is for those who trust in money to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God.”
26 And they wondered even more, saying among themselves, “Who, then, can be saved?”
27 And Jesus, gazing at them, said: “With men it is impossible; but not with God. For with God all things are possible.”
28 And Peter began to say to him, “Behold, we have left all things and have followed you.”
29 In response, Jesus said: “Amen I say to you, There is no one who has left behind house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or land, for my sake and for the Gospel,
30 who will not receive one hundred times as much, now in this time: houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land, with persecutions, and in the future age eternal life.
31 But many of the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”
32 Now they were on the way ascending to Jerusalem. And Jesus went ahead of them, and they were astonished. And those following him were afraid. And again, taking aside the twelve, he began to tell them what was about to happen to him.
33 “For behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be handed over to the leaders of the priests, and to the scribes, and the elders. And they will condemn him to death, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.
34 And they will mock him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and put him to death. And on the third day, he will rise again.”
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, drew near to him, saying, “Teacher, we wish that whatever we will ask, you would do for us.”
36 But he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37 And they said, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your glory.”
38 But Jesus said to them: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the chalice from which I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?”
39 But they said to him, “We can.” Then Jesus said to them: “Indeed, you shall drink from the chalice, from which I drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism, with which I am to be baptized.
40 But to sit at my right, or at my left, is not mine to give to you, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 And the ten, upon hearing this, began to be indignant toward James and John.
42 But Jesus, calling them, said to them: “You know that those who seem to be leaders among the Gentiles dominate them, and their leaders exercise authority over them.
43 But it is not to be this way among you. Instead, whoever would become greater shall be your minister;
44 and whoever will be first among you shall be the servant of all.
45 So, too, the Son of man has not come so that they would minister to him, but so that he would minister and would give his life as a redemption for many.”
46 And they went to Jericho. And as he was setting out from Jericho with his disciples and a very numerous multitude, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind man, sat begging beside the way.
47 And when he had heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and to say, “Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me.”
48 And many admonished him to be quiet. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, take pity on me.”
49 And Jesus, standing still, instructed him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying to him: “Be at peace. Arise. He is calling you.”
50 And casting aside his garment, he leapt up and went to him.
51 And in response, Jesus said to him, “What do you want, that I should do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Master, that I may see.”
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has made you whole.” And immediately he saw, and he followed him on the way. |