And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always
to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a
judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a
widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me
justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but
afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor
respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give
her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual
coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and
night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give
justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,
will he find faith on earth?”
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men
went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I
thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I
give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far
off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his
breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who
humbles himself will be exalted.”
Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch
them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus
called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do
not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I
say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a
child shall not enter it.”
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit
eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No
one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not
commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false
witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I
have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him,
“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to
the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow
me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was
extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How
difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of
God! For 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.” Those who
heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is
impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we
have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly,
I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or
brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of
God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the
age to come eternal life.”
And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by
the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to
the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit
upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third
day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This
saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the
roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what
this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And
he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those
who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he
cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus
stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came
near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said,
“Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover
your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he
recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the
people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
