Teaching about Divorce

(Mark 10:1-12)

1When Jesus had finished saying these things,a he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other sideb of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a manc to divorce his wife for any reason?”

4He answered them, “Haven’t you read that the one who maded them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’e 5and said, ‘That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?f 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”

7They asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order us ‘to give a certificate of divorce and divorce her’?”g

8He told them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way. 9I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”h

10His disciples asked him, “If that is the relationship of a man with his wife, it’s not worth getting married!”

11 “Not everyone can accept this saying,” he replied, “except those to whom celibacyi has been granted, 12because some men are celibate from birth,j while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom fromk heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

Jesus Blesses the Little Children

(Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17)

13Then some little children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked those who broughtl them. 14Jesus, however, said, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom fromm heaven belongs to people like these.” 15When he had laid his hands on them, he went on from there.

A Rich Man Comes to Jesus

(Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23)

16Just then a man came up to Jesus.n “Teacher,”o he asked, “what good deed should I do to have eternal life?”

17Jesusp asked him, “Why ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.q If you want to get into that life, you must keep the commandments.”

18The young manr asked him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You must not murder,s you must not commit adultery,t you must not steal,u you must not give false testimony,v 19honor your father and mother,’w and, ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself.’”x

20The young man told him, “I have kept all of these.y What do I still lack?”

21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the moneyz to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.” 22But when the young man heard this statement he went away sad, because he had many possessions.

Salvation and Reward

(Mark 10:23-31; Luke 18:24-30)

23Then Jesus told his disciples, “I tell all of youaa with certainty, it will be hard for a rich person to get into the kingdom frombb heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”

25When the disciples heard this, they were completely astonished. “Who, then, can be saved?” they asked.

26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “For humans this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

27“Look!” Peter replied. “We have left everything and followed you. So what will we get?”

28Jesus told them, “I tell all of youcc with certainty, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the renewed creation, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, governing the twelve tribes of Israel. 29In fact, everyone who has left his homes, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times as muchdd and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”