Luke
Jesus told them a parable to teach them to pray always and not give up.
He said, “There was once a judge in a certain town who did not fear God or
respect people.
A widow in the same town kept on going to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’
For some time the judge refused, but
after a while he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect
people,
because this widow keeps bothering me I will ensure she receives
justice, so that she does not wear me out by her repeated visits.’”
The lord
said, “Listen to what the unjust judge said.
Do you not think that God will
bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?
Do you think He will keep them waiting?
I tell you, He will bring about
justice for them quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find the
faith on the earth?”
He also told this parable to some people who trusted in their own self-righteousness and looked down on everyone else:
“Two men went to the
Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee
stood up and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like
everybody else — swindlers, crooks, adulterers, or like this tax collector here.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on everything I receive.’
But the tax
collector stood at a distance and did not want to even raise his eyes towards
heaven. Instead he beat himself on the chest and prayed, ‘God, please be
merciful to me because I am a sinful man.’
I tell you, it was this man who
went home right in God’s eyes rather than the other, because everyone who
exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
People were bringing even their babies to Jesus so that he would lay
hands on them and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded
the people.
But Jesus called for the children to come to him. “Allow the little children
to come to me,” he said. “Do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God
belongs to people like them.
I am telling you the truth: whoever does not
receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”
One of the leaders asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what should I do to
inherit the Life of the Age to Come?”
Jesus replied, “Why do you call me
good? No one is good except God alone.
You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not lie, honor your father and mother.”
The man responded, “I have kept all these from the time
I was young.”
When Jesus heard this reply, he said to the man, “You still
fall short in one thing. Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor,
and you will have treasure stored up in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
But when the man heard this he became very sad, because he was extremely rich.
Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who are
wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God!
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.”
The people listening said, “Then who can be saved?”
But Jesus
said, “Things that are humanly impossible are possible with God.”
Peter said, “Look, we abandoned everything to follow you!”
Jesus said
to them, “I am telling you the truth: there is nobody who has left home, wife,
brothers, parents, or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God
who will not receive many times more in this age, and in the Age to Come the life of that future age.”
Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Listen, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and everything written through the prophets about the Son of Man
will be fulfilled:
He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be
mocked, abused, and spat on.
After they have beaten him they will kill him,
and on the third day he will rise again.”
But the disciples did not
comprehend any of this. It was hidden from them, and they did not
understand what was said.
As Jesus was approaching Jericho a blind man was sitting by the road
begging.
Hearing a crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
They
told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
He called out, “Jesus, son of
David,
please have mercy on me!”
Those at the front of the crowd
sternly told him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David,
please have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and commanded the man to be
brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want
me to do for you?” He said, “lord, I want to see again.”
Jesus said to him,
“See again; your faith has healed you.”
Immediately the man regained his
sight and began following Jesus, praising God. And all the people who saw it
gave praise to God.
Luke