New Testament in a Year

Teaching About Divorce

10 ^(A)And he left there and went ^(B)to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

² And Pharisees came up and in order ^(C)to test him asked, ^(D)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, ^(E)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^(F)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But ^(G)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them ^(H)male and female.’ ^7 (I)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,^{[a] 8} and ^(J)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^9 (K)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, ^(L)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and ^(M)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Let the Children Come to Me

^13 (N)And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples ^(O)rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ^(P)“Let the children come to me; ^(Q)do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ^15 (R)Truly, I say to you, whoever does not ^(S)receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And ^(T)he took them in his arms and blessed them, ^(U)laying his hands on them.

The Rich Young Man

^17 (V)And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and ^(W)knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ^(X)inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ^(Y)‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ And he said to him, “Teacher, ^(Z)all these I have kept from my youth.” ²¹ And Jesus, ^(AA)looking at him, ^(AB)loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, ^(AC)sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^(AD)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ^22 (AE)Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus ^(AF)looked around and said to his disciples, ^(AG)“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter ^(AH)the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples ^(AI)were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ^(AJ)“Children, ^(AK)how difficult it is^[b] to enter ^(AL)the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^(AM)the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,^[c] “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus ^(AN)looked at them and said, ^(AO)“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “See, ^(AP)we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, ^(AQ)there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and ^(AR)for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold ^(AS)now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, ^(AT)with persecutions, and in ^(AU)the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But ^(AV)many who are first will be last, and the last first.”