New Testament in a Year

Chapter 10

Marriage and Divorce.^{[a] 1} After departing from there, Jesus came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.^[b] Again the crowds gathered around him, and, as was his custom, he began to teach them.

² Some Pharisees came forward and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He replied, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss her.” ⁵ But Jesus said to them, “It was because of the hardness of your hearts that he wrote this commandment for you. ⁶ But from the very beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two become one flesh.’ And so they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ When they were again in the house, the disciples once more questioned Jesus about this. ¹¹ He said to them, “If a man divorces his wife and marries another, he commits adultery against her. ¹² In the same way, if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³ Jesus Receives Little Children.^[c] People were bringing little children to him so that he might touch them, and the disciples sternly rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus became aware of this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them. For it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵ Amen, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them up into his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

¹⁷ The Rich Young Man.^[d] As Jesus was starting out on a journey, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰ The man said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these since I was a child.” ²¹ Looking at him, Jesus was moved with love and said, “You need to do one further thing. Go and sell what you own, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² When he heard these words, the man’s face fell and he went away grieving, for he possessed great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were astounded on hearing his words, but Jesus insisted: “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ The disciples were even more greatly astonished, and they said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. For God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Reward for Following Jesus.^[e] Peter said to him, “We have given up everything to follow you.” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel ³⁰ who will not receive in this age a hundred times more houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and lands—as well as persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”