1 Then Jesus began telling them a parable to show them that they should pray at all times and never give up: 2 “There was in a certain town a judge, who had of God no fear and had for people no regard. 3 There was also in that town a widow, who kept coming to the judge and saying, ‘Please see that justice is done and avenge me against the one who is trying to ruin me!’ 4 The judge refused to act for a time. Finally, however, he thought to himself, ‘Although God I don’t fear, and though I have for people no regard, 5 still, because this widow keeps pestering me, I will see that she is avenged. Otherwise, she might just end up coming and giving me a good punch in the eye!”

6 Then the Lord said, “Pay attention to what is said by this judge who is unjust! 7 Well, what about God? Will he fail to avenge his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and go on holding back his anger about what is happening to them? Never! 8 I tell ᵖyou this: He will execute vengeance suddenly. Yet when the Son of Man does come, will he really find that kind of faith in the land+?”

9 Now Jesus also told this parable to some who were placing their confidence in themselves, convinced that they that were faithfully adhering to the Torah, and who looked down on everyone else: 10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, after standing up, about himself prayed on and on like this: ‘O God, I give thanks to you that I’m not like other people—swindlers, dishonest people, adulterers, and especially this tax collector. 12 I do even more than the Torah requires, fasting two days a week and even tithing every little thing I buy.’ 13 The tax collector, however, standing at a distance, wouldn’t even look up to heaven, but kept striking his chest in repentance and sorrow, saying, “O God, please remove the guilt of my sins and turn your wrath away from me on account of this sacrifice! Be merciful to me, the worst of all sinners!” 14 I tell ᵖyou this: This man went home judged righteous, not that other fellow. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

15 Now some people were trying to bring to Jesus their little children, too, in hopes that he would touch them. Well, when the disciples saw this, they began to scold those who brought them. 16 Jesus, however, called the children over to himself, saying, “Let the children come to me and don’t try to stop them! It is to lowly people such as these, you see, that the Kingdom of God belongs. 17 Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: If someone does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a child, he will certainly not enter it.”

18 A certain man posed a question to Jesus—a member of the ruling class. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit life in the coming age?”

19 “Exactly why is it that ˢyou are calling me good?” asked Jesus. “No one is good, except for one—God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘ˢYou must not commit adultery,’+ ‘ˢYou must not murder,’+ ‘ˢYou must not steal,’+ ‘ˢYou must not bear false testimony,’+ ‘ˢHonor your father and mother.’+”

21 “These things, all of them,” the man said, “I have carefully observed since I was a young man.”

22 Jesus, when he heard this, said to the man, “You are still lacking one thing: Sell this—everything you own—and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure stored away in the heavens. Then come along with me as a disciple.”

23 When the man heard these things, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.

24 When Jesus saw how sad the man became, he said, “How difficult it is going to be for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 Yes, it is truly easier for a camel to pass through the very eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”

27 “The things that are impossible with mere men are possible,” Jesus replied, “with God.”

28 Then Peter said, “What about us? We have left behind our homes and property to be your disciples.”

29 Jesus said to them, “Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: There is no one who has left behind house or wife or brothers and sisters or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come, unending life.”

31 Now taking the Twelve aside, Jesus said to them, “Listen, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets regarding the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles and mocked and treated shamefully and spat upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him. On the third day, however, he will rise to life.” 34 But the disciples understood none of these things. The significance of what he was saying was hidden from them; they didn’t grasp what he was telling them.

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, sitting there beside the road begging was a certain blind man. 36 When he heard a crowd passing by, he asked, “What in the world is going on?”

37 “Jesus of Nazareth himself is passing by,” they told him.

38 At that the man shouted, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!” 39 The people at the front of the crowd kept warning him to be quiet. The man, however, started shouting even more loudly, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What is it that ˢyou would like me to do for you?”

“Lord,” the man said, “I want to see again.”

42 “Receive your sight,” Jesus said to him. “This faith of yours has healed you.” 43 The man received his sight instantly! Then he began following along with Jesus, glorifying God. All the people, too, when they saw this, gave praise to God.