1Jesus left Capernaum and went to the region of Judea and Transjordan. Once again people flocked to see him, and he was teaching them like he always did.
2Some Pharisees came to see him. They tried to test him by asking the question, “Is divorce legal?”
3“What did Moses tell you to do?” he asked in reply.
4“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send the woman away,” they replied.
5Then Jesus told them, “Moses only wrote down this rule for you because of your hard-hearted attitude.
6However, in the beginning, from creation, God made male and female.
7That's why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined in marriage to his wife,
8and the two become one body. They are no longer two but one.
9Let no one separate what God has joined together.”
10When they were back indoors, the disciples began asking him about this.
11“Any man who divorces his wife and marries again commits adultery against her,” he told them.
12“And if the wife divorces her husband and marries again she commits adultery.”
13Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them, but the disciples told them off and tried to keep the children away from Jesus.
14But when Jesus saw what they were doing, he became very upset and told them, “Let the children come to me! Don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
15I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't welcome the kingdom of God like a child won't enter it.”
16He hugged the children, placed his hands on them, and blessed them.
17As Jesus set out on his journey, a man came running over and kneeled down before him. “Good teacher, what should I do to make sure I have eternal life?” he asked.
18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good, only God.
19You know the commandments: you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not cheat, honor your father and mother…”
20“Teacher,” the man replied, “I've obeyed all these commandments since I was small.”
21Jesus looked at him with love and said, “You're only missing one thing. Go and sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22At this, the man's face fell, and he left feeling very sad, for he was very wealthy.
23Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “It's only with difficulty that wealthy people enter the kingdom of God!”
24The disciples were shocked at this. But Jesus went on, “My friends, it is difficult to enter God's kingdom.
25It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter God's kingdom.”
26The disciples were even more confused. “Then who on earth can be saved?” they asked one another.
27Looking right at them, Jesus replied, “From a human point of view, it's impossible—but not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
28Peter spoke up, “We've left everything to follow you…”
29“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “anyone who has left behind their home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands because of me, and for the sake of the good news,
30will receive in return in due course a hundred times as many homes and brothers and sisters and children and lands—as well as persecution. In the world to come they will receive eternal life.
31However, many of the first will be last, and the last first.”
32They continued on their way to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking on ahead. The disciples were apprehensive and the other followers were afraid. So Jesus took the disciples aside and began to explain to them what was about to happen to him.
33“We're going to Jerusalem,” he told them, “and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and religious teachers. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the foreigners.
34They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. But three days later he will rise again.”
35James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to see him. “Teacher,” they said, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”
36“So what do you want me to do for you?” Jesus replied.
37“When you're victorious and sit on your throne, make sure we sit beside you, one on the right, the other on the left,” they told him.
38“You don't know what you're asking,” replied Jesus. “Can you drink the cup I drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism of pain I will suffer?”
39“Yes, we can,” they replied. “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the same baptism as me,” Jesus told them.
40“But it's not for me to grant who should sit on my right or on my left. These places are reserved for those for whom they have been prepared.”
41When the other ten disciples heard about this, they started getting upset with James and John.
42Jesus called the disciples together and told them, “You realize that those who claim to rule over nations oppress their people. The rulers act like tyrants.
43But for you it's not like this. Anyone of you who wants to be a ruler must be your servant,
44and anyone who wants to be first among you must be the slave of all of you.
45For even the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
46Jesus and his disciples passed through Jericho, and as they were leaving town, accompanied by a large crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting at the roadside.
47When he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he started shouting out, “Jesus, son of David, please have mercy on me!”
48Lots of people told him to be quiet, but that only made him shout even more, “Jesus, son of David, please have mercy on me!”
49Jesus stopped, and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called him over, telling him, “Good news! Get up. He's calling for you.”
50Bartimaeus jumped up, threw off his coat, and rushed over to Jesus.
51“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. “Teacher,” he said to Jesus, “I want to see!”
52“You can go. Your trust in me has healed you.” Immediately Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus as he went on his way.