God Will Answer His People
18 Then Jesus used this ·story [parable] to ·teach his followers [show the necessity] that they should always pray and never ·lose hope [become discouraged]. 2 “In a certain town there was a judge who did not ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people thought]. 3 In that same town there was a widow [C among the most vulnerable members of society] who kept coming to this judge, saying, ‘Give me ·my rights [justice] against my ·enemy [opponent; adversary].’ 4 For a while the judge refused to help her. But afterwards, he thought to himself, ‘Even though I don’t ·respect [fear] God or ·care about people [or care what people think], 5 yet because she ·keeps bothering me [is causing me such trouble], I will see that she gets ·her rights [justice]. Otherwise she will ·keep coming until she wears me out [or eventually come and punch me/blacken my eye].’”
6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the ·unfair [unjust; unrighteous] judge said. 7 God will always [L Will not God…?] ·give what is right [provide justice] to his ·people [L chosen people; elect] who cry to him day and night, and ·he will not [L will he…?] ·be slow to answer them [or keep putting them off]. 8 I tell you, God will ·help [provide justice to] his people ·quickly [or suddenly]. ·But [However; Yet] when the Son of Man comes again, will he find ·those on earth who believe in him [L faith on the earth; C God’s faithfulness is certain; the only question is whether people will remain faithful to him]?”
Being Right with God
9 Jesus told this ·story [parable] to some people who ·thought they were very good [were confident of their own righteousness] and ·looked down on [scorned; despised] everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the Temple [courts] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector [C despised by their fellow Jews because they worked for the hated Romans and were notorious for extortion]. 11 The Pharisee ·stood alone and prayed [or stood and prayed about himself], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—thieves, ·cheaters [evildoers; unrighteous people], adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week [C Pharisees commonly fasted on Monday and Thursday], and I ·give one-tenth of [pay tithes on] everything I get!’
13 “[L But] The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even ·look up [L raise his eyes] to heaven. But he beat on his chest [C a sign of sorrow and remorse] and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, when this man went home, he was ·right with God [justified], ·but the Pharisee was not [L rather than that (other) man]. [L Because] All who ·make themselves great [exalt themselves] will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be ·made great [exalted].”
Who Will Enter God’s Kingdom?(A)
15 Some people brought even their babies to Jesus so he could touch them. When the ·followers [disciples] saw this, they ·told them to stop [scolded/rebuked them]. 16 But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t ·stop [hinder; forbid] them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children [C meaning humble and dependent]. 17 I tell you the truth, you must ·accept [receive] the kingdom of God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it.”
A Rich Man’s Question(B)
18 A certain ·leader [ruler] asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ·have life forever [L inherit eternal life]?”
19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? ·Only God is good [L No one is good except one—God; C Jesus is not denying his own divinity, but is challenging the man’s understanding of goodness]. 20 You know the commands: ‘You must not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not ·tell lies [testify falsely] about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother [Ex. 20:12–16; Deut. 5:16–20].’”
21 But the leader said, “I have ·obeyed [kept carefully; guarded] all these commands since ·I was a boy [my youth].”
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you ·need to do [lack]. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” 23 But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was ·very [extremely] rich.
24 ·Jesus looked at him and [or When Jesus saw this reaction, he] said, “·It is very hard [L How hard it is…!] for ·rich people [L those who have wealth] to enter the kingdom of God. 25 [L For; Indeed] 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 [C meaning it is impossible, by human effort; see v. 27].”
Who Can Be Saved?
26 When the people heard this, they asked, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus answered, “The things impossible ·for people [humanly speaking] are possible for God.”
28 Peter said, “Look, we have left ·everything [or our possessions; or our home] and followed you.”
29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all those who have left houses, wives, brothers [or siblings], parents, or children ·for [for the sake of] the kingdom of God 30 will get much more in this ·life [age; L time]. And in the ·age [aeon; world] that is coming, they will have ·life forever [eternal life].”
Jesus Will Rise from the Dead(C)
31 Then Jesus took ·the twelve apostles [L the Twelve] aside and said to them, “[L Look; T Behold] We are going [L up] to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will ·happen [be fulfilled/completed/accomplished]. 32 He will be turned over to the Gentiles [C the Roman authorities]. They will ·laugh at [mock] him, insult him, spit on him, 33 ·beat him with whips [flog him; T scourge him], and kill him. But on the third day, he will rise to life again.” 34 ·The apostles [L They] did not understand this; the meaning was hidden from them, and they did not ·realize [comprehend] what was said.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man(D)
35 As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging. 36 When he heard the people ·coming down the road [passing by], he asked, “What is happening?”
37 They told him, “Jesus, ·from Nazareth [or the Nazarene], is going by.”
38 The blind man cried out, “Jesus, Son of David [C a title for the Messiah, a descendant of King David; 2 Sam. 7:11–16], ·have mercy [take pity] on me!”
39 The people leading the group ·warned [rebuked; scolded] the blind man to be quiet. But the blind man shouted even more, “Son of David, ·have mercy [take pity] on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
He said, “Lord, I want to see.”
42 Jesus said to him, “Then see. ·You are healed because you believed [Your faith has healed/saved you].”
43 At once the man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.