“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.

And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God.

Parable of the Great Feast

Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

“Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in.

The Coming of the Kingdom

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs.

You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.

I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!

In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God,

Parable of the Ten Servants

The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.

Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.

For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right

to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.