The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and ^(A)sells all that he has and ^(B)buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, when he had found ^(C)one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

^17 (A)for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^(B)peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler^(A)

^17 (B)Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I ^(C)do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, ^(D)God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ^(E)‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰ And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have ^(F)kept from my youth.”

²¹ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, ^(G)sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^(H)treasure in heaven; and come, ^(I)take up the cross, and follow Me.”

²² But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible^(J)

^23 (K)Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is ^[a]for those ^(L)who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a ^(M)rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

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

^28 (O)Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

²⁹ So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[b]or wife or children or ^[c]lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, ^30 (P)who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with ^(Q)persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

⁷ But ^(A)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^(B)for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

³³ But ^(A)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The Purpose of Parables^(A)

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because ^(B)it has been given to you to know the ^[a]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ^12 (C)For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because ^(A)he also is ^(B)a son of Abraham; ^10 (C)for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

^5 (A)Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, ^(B)being in the form of God, did not consider it ^[a]robbery to be equal with God, ^7 (C)but ^[b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form ^(D)of a bondservant, and ^(E)coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and ^(F)became ^(G)obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.