New Testament in a Year
Jesus Teaches About Divorce(A)
10 Then Jesus left that place and went into the ·area [region] of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again, crowds came to him, and he taught them as he usually did.
2 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to ·trick [test; trap] him. They asked, “Is it ·right [lawful; C according to the law of Moses] for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 Jesus answered, “What did Moses command you to do?”
4 They said, “Moses ·allowed [permitted] a man to write out divorce papers and send her away [Deut. 24:1].”
5 Jesus said, “Moses wrote that command for you because you were ·stubborn [hard hearted]. 6 But ·when God made the world [from the beginning of creation], ‘he made them male and female’ [Gen. 1:27; 5:2]. 7 ‘So a man will leave his father and mother and be ·united with [joined to] his wife,[a] 8 and the two will become ·one body [as though they were one person; T one flesh; Gen. 2:24]’. So they are no longer two, but one. 9 God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them.”
10 Later, in the house, his ·followers [disciples] asked Jesus again about ·the question of divorce [L this matter]. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman ·is guilty of [commits] adultery against her. 12 And the woman who divorces her husband and marries another man ·is also guilty of [commits] adultery.”
Jesus Accepts Children(B)
13 Some people brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch them, but his ·followers [disciples] ·told them to stop [scolded/rebuked them]. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was ·upset [angry; indignant] and said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children [C meaning humble and dependent]. 15 I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it.” 16 Then Jesus took the children in his arms, ·put [laid] his hands on them, and blessed them.
A Rich Young Man’s Question(C)
17 As Jesus started ·to leave [on his way; on a journey], a man ran to him and ·fell on his knees [knelt] before Jesus. The man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to ·have life forever [L inherit eternal life]?”
18 Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? ·Only God is good [No one is good except One—God; C Jesus is not denying his own divinity, but is challenging the man’s understanding of goodness]. 19 You know the commands: ‘You must not murder. You must not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery. You must not steal. You must not ·tell lies about your neighbor [testify falsely; T bear false witness]. You must not ·cheat [defraud]. Honor your father and mother’ [Ex. 20:12–16; Deut. 5:16–20].”
20 The man said, “Teacher, I have ·obeyed [kept carefully; guarded] all these things since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, “There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 He was ·very sad [shocked; appalled] to hear Jesus say this, and he left ·sorrowfully [grieving], because he ·was rich [had many possessions].
23 Then Jesus looked [around] at his ·followers [disciples] and said, “How hard it will be for ·the rich [those with many possessions] to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The ·followers [disciples] were ·amazed [astonished] at what Jesus said. [C In Judaism wealth was generally viewed as a reward from God.] But he said again, “My children, it is very hard[b] to enter 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 the kingdom of God [C meaning it is impossible, by human effort; see v. 27].”
26 They were even more ·surprised [amazed] and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “·For people [Humanly speaking,] this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
28 Peter ·said [spoke up] to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or ·farms [fields] for me and for the ·Good News [Gospel] 30 will get more than they left. Here in ·this world [the present age] they will have a hundred times more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and ·fields [farms]. And with those things, ·they will also suffer for their belief [persecutions]. But in the ·age [world] that is coming they will have ·life forever [eternal life]. 31 Many who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future.”
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