Dual Panel1WHEN Jesus had finished talking on these matters, he left Galilee and went on to the district of Judaea on the far side of the Jordan.
2Vast crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3Then the Pharisees arrived with a testquestion. "Is it right," they asked, "for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds whatever?"
4"Haven't you read," he answered, "that the one who created them from the beginning made them male and female
5and said: 'For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh'?
6So they are no longer two separate people but one. No man therefore must separate what God has joined together."
7"Then why," they retorted, "did Moses command us to give a written divorcenotice and dismiss the woman?"
8"It was because you knew so little of the meaning of love that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives! But that was not the original principle.
9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife on any grounds except her unfaithfulness and marries some other woman commits adultery."
10His disciples said to him, "If that is a man's position with his wife, it is not worth getting married!"
11"It is not everybody who can accept this principle," replied Jesus, "only those who have a special gift.
12For some are incapable of marriage from birth, some are made incapable by the action of men, and some have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let the man who can accept what I have said accept it."
13Then some little children were brought to him, so that he could put his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples strongly disapproved of this
14but Jesus said, "You must let little children come to me, and you must never stop them. The kingdom of Heaven belongs to little children like these!"
15Then he laid his hands on them and walked away.
16Then it happened that a man came up to him and said, "Master what good thing must I do to secure eternal life?"
17"I wonder why you ask me about what is good?" Jesus answered him. "Only One is good. But if you want to enter that life you must keep the commandments."
18"Which ones?" he asked. "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19Honour thy father and thy mother; and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," replied Jesus.
20"I have carefully kept all these," returned the young mare "What is still missing in my life?"
21Then Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go now and sell your possessions and give the money to the pooryou will have riches in Heaven. Then come and follow me."
22When the young man heard that he turned away crestfallen, for he was very wealthy.
23Then Jesus remarked to his disciples, "Believe me, a rich man will find it very difficult to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
24Yes, I repeat, a camel could more easily squeeze through the eye of a needle than a rich man get into the kingdom of God!"
25The disciples were simply amazed to hear this, and said, "Then who can possibly be saved?"
26Jesus looked steadily at them and replied, "Humanly speaking it is impossible; but with God anything is possible!"
27At this Peter exclaimed, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What will that be worth to us?"
28"Believe me," said Jesus, "when I tell you that in the new world, when the Son of Man shall take his seat on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also be seated on twelve thrones as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
29Every man who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or land for my sake will get them hack many times over, and will inherit eternal life.
30But many who are first now will be last thenand the last first!