Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

1Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, 5yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’” 6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! 7Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? 8I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

9Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ 14I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus and Little Children

15Now people were even bringing their babies to him for him to touch. But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. 16But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

The Wealthy Ruler

18Now a certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 21The man replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy. 24When Jesus noticed this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25In fact, 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.” 26Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?” 27He replied, “What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God.” 28And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own to follow you!” 29Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom 30who will not receive many times more in this age – and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Another Prediction of Jesus’ Passion

31Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, mistreated, and spat on. 33They will flog him severely and kill him. Yet on the third day he will rise again.” 34But the twelve understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what Jesus meant.

Healing a Blind Man

35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on. 37They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 38So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39And those who were in front scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40So Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41“What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, let me see again.” 42Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43And immediately he regained his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they too gave praise to God.