Greatness That Serves

¹He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them.

²Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

³He answered, “What did Moses command you?”

⁴They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”

⁵But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment.

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

⁷For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife,

⁸and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.

⁹What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

¹⁰In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter.

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

¹²If a woman herself divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them.

¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.

¹⁵Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”

¹⁶He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

¹⁷As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God.

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

²⁰He said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.”

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

²²But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”

²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!

²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

²⁶They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

²⁸Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all and have followed you.”

²⁹Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News,

³⁰but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.

³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

³²They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him.

³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles.

³⁴They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

³⁵James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”

³⁶He 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 hand and one at your left hand, in your glory.”

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You don’t 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.”

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

⁴¹When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant toward James and John.

⁴²Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

⁴³But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.

⁴⁴Whoever of you wants to become first among you shall be bondservant of all.

⁴⁵For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

⁴⁶They came to Jericho. As he went out from Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Many rebuked him, that he should be quiet, but he cried out much more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, “Call him.”

⁵⁰He, casting away his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

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

⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the way.