Jesus condemns no-fault divorce
1 Going up from there, Jesus crossed the Jordan River and went into the area of Judea. Once again a large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them as usual. 2 Then the Pharisees came to test him by asking whether it was permissible for a man to divorce his wife.2
3 “What did Moses command you?” Jesus asked.
4 And they answered, “Moses permitted a man to write up a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 Then Jesus said, “It was because of your hard hearts that he wrote this command to you. 5 6 But from the beginning of creation ‘he made them male and female, 7 and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 so that the two become one flesh’. So they are no longer two, but one flesh, 9 and no one is to separate what God has joined.”
10 Once they were in the house, the disciples kept asking about this. 11 So he told them, “If anyone divorces his wife and she marries someone else, he commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”12
Jesus defends children
13 People presented little ones to Jesus so that he would bless them, but his disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little ones come to me; do not prevent them! For the kingdom of God consists of such people. 15 I tell you truly that whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as these little ones do, will not enter it themselves!” 16 Then he took the little ones in his arms and place his hands on them to bless them.
Riches as an obstacle to salvation
17 As he went out onto the road, someone approached quickly and dropped to his knees: “Good Teacher,” he asked, “What should I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why are you asking me about what is good?” he asked. “No one but God is good. 19 And you know the commandments: don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”
20 “I’ve kept all those commands all my life,” he replied.
21 But Jesus looked at him with fondness and said, “You lack only one thing: Go and sell everything you have and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” 22 But upon hearing this, he went away dejected, because he was very wealthy.
23 Then Jesus looked around at his disciples and said, “How very difficult it is for those with money to enter into the kingdom of God!” 24 His disciples were shocked to hear this, so Jesus continued: “Students, it is very difficult to enter the kingdom of God. 25 I think it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
26 They were still astounded and said to themselves, “Then who can possibly be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “People may be unable to do this, but with God, anything is possible.”
28 Then Peter started to say, “Look, we’ve given up everything to follow you!”
29 “Yes,” said Jesus. “I tell you truly that not one of you who has given up a house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or property for the sake of me and the good news, 30 will fail to receive a hundred times more in this life: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, property. Trials will come too, but in eternity 31 many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Jesus predicts his death yet again
32 They were going up the road to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way. They were awestruck, but those following were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them all the things that were about to happen to him: 33 “Look, we’re going up into Jerusalem, and the Human is to be handed over to the high priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the secular authorities, 34 who will jeer at him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. But after three days he will rise up.”
Humility is greatness
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went up to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we have a favor to ask of you.”
36 “What is it you want me to do?” Jesus asked.
37 “When you are exalted, grant that one of us will sit at your right and the other at your left,” they answered.
38 “You don’t realize what you’re asking,” replied Jesus. “Are you able to drink from the same cup as I will, and be immersed with the same immersion as I will?”
39 “Yes, we are!” they replied.
And Jesus said, “You will indeed drink from the same cup and experience the same immersion. 40 But the places at my right and left are not mine to assign; they are for those already selected.”
41 When the Ten heard about this, they were indignant with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them to himself and said, “As you know, the other nations have people who are considered rulers and have mastery over them; their great ones wield authority over them. 43 But it is not to be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all. 45 For the Human did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom payment for many.”
Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus
46 They went up to Jericho, and then as Jesus was leaving, along with his disciples and a fairly sizable crowd, there was a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, “Jesus, descendant of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many people told him to stop, but he only shouted louder, “Jesus, descendant of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!” So they called to the blind one and said, “Take courage! Get up, he’s calling you!” 50 So he threw off his cloak and jumped up and went to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“My Master,” he replied, “I want to see!”
52 “On your way!” said Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” And right away he saw, and he followed Jesus along the road.
- 2 This same incident in Matthew 19 gives more detail, identifying this question as the “any cause” debate among the rabbis concerning divorce. Some interpreted the scriptures to allow “no-fault” divorce, while others insisted that there had to be a valid reason. They are trying to get Jesus to take sides.
- 5 Jesus is hereby teaching that God sometimes makes concessions to human weakness; that is, not everything God commands is a timeless ideal.
- 12 This concerns a technicality under the law: adultery was actually against the other man, not the divorced wife. So Jesus is saying that divorce is a matter of the heart, far beyond the letter of the law, and that the wife had to be considered equally.