God's New Bible

The Gospel According to St. Mark

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 10 -

(Matthew 19:1–12)
1
Jesus left that place with his disciples, and they went through the district of Judea and on across to the east side of the Jordan River. When crowds of people gathered around him again, he taught them again, as he customarily did.
2
While he was teaching them, some Pharisees approached him and asked him, “Does our law permit a man to divorce his wife?” They asked that in order to be able to criticize him whether he answered “yes” or “no.”
3
He answered them, “What did Moses command your ancestors about this?”
4
One of them replied, “Moses permitted that a man may write out divorce papers so that he may send her away.”
5
Jesus said to them, “Your ancestors stubbornly wanted to be able to send their wives away. That is why Moses wrote that law.
6
But when God first created people, it says, ‘God made them male and female.’
7
That explains why God said, ’When a man marries, he must leave his parents and join with his wife.
8
They will become like one person. They will no longer be like two people, but like one.’
9
Because that is true, a man must not separate from his wife. God has joined them together and he wishes them to stay together!”
10
When Jesus and his disciples were alone in a house, they asked him again about this.
11
He said to them, “God considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery.
12
God also considers a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man to be committing adultery.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

(Matthew 19:13–15; Luke 18:15–17)
13
Now people were bringing children to Jesus so that he would touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded those people.
14
When Jesus saw that, he became angry. He said to the disciples, “Allow the children to come to me! Do not forbid them! It is people who have qualities like children over whom God will agree to rule.
15
Note this: Those who do not welcome God as their king in the same manner as children would, God will certainly not agree to rule over them.”
16
Then he embraced the children. He also put his hands on them and called on God to do good to them.

The Rich Young Man

(Matthew 19:16–30; Luke 18:18–30)
17
As Jesus was starting to travel again with his disciples, a man ran up to him. He knelt before Jesus and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?”
18
Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good!
19
But to answer your question, you know the commandments of Moses: ‘Do not murder anyone, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, do not cheat anyone, and honor your father and mother’.”
20
The man said to him, “Teacher, I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young.”
21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. He said to him, “There is one thing that you have not yet done. You must go home, sell all that you possess, and then give the money to poor people. As a result, you will have riches in heaven. After you have done what I have told you, come and follow me!”
22
The man became disappointed when he heard Jesus’ instructions. He went away sad, because he was very rich.
23
Jesus looked around at the people. Then he exclaimed to his disciples, “It is very difficult for people who are wealthy to agree for God to rule over them.”
24
The disciples were confused by what he said. Jesus said again, “My dear friends, it is very difficult for anyone to agree for God to rule over them.
25
In fact, it would be easier for a very large animal like a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for rich people to accept God to rule over them.”
26
The disciples were very astonished. So they said to each other, “If that is so, then no one will be saved!”
27
Jesus looked at them and then he said, “Yes, it is impossible for people to save themselves! But God certainly can save them, because God can do anything!”
28
Peter said, “Look, we have left behind everything and followed you.”
29
Jesus replied, “I want you to know this: Those who have left their houses, their brothers, their sisters, their father, their mother, their children, or their plots of ground for me and for the good news,
30
they will receive in this life a hundred times as much as they left behind. That will include houses and people as dear as brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and plots of ground. Furthermore, although people will persecute them here on earth because they believe in me, in the future age they will have eternal life.
31
But I warn you all: Many who now consider themselves to be very important will be unimportant at that future time, and many who now consider themselves to be unimportant will be very important at that future time!”

The Third Prediction of the Passion

(Matthew 20:17–19; Luke 18:31–34)
32
Some days later as they continued to travel, Jesus and his disciples were walking on the road that leads up to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished and the other people who were with them were afraid. Along the way he took the twelve disciples to a place by themselves. Then he began to tell them again about what was going to happen to him; he said,
33
“Listen carefully! We are going up to Jerusalem. There the chief priests and the men who teach the laws will arrest me, the Son of Man. They will declare that I must die. Then they will take me to the Roman authorities.
34
Their men will ridicule me and spit on me. They will whip me, and then they will kill me. But on the third day after that, I will become alive again!”

The Request of James and John

(Matthew 20:20–28)
35
Along the way, James and John, who were the two sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do something for us!”
36
He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37
They said to him, “When you rule in your kingdom, let one of us sit at your right side and one sit at your left side.”
38
But Jesus said to them, “You do not understand what you are asking for.” Then he asked them, “Can you endure suffering like I am about to suffer? Can you die the kind of death I am about to die?”
39
They said to him, “Yes, we are able to do that!” Then Jesus said to them, “It is true that you will endure suffering like I will suffer, and you will endure others to kill you as they will kill me.
40
But I am not the one who chooses who will sit next to me. God will give those places to the ones whom he chooses in advance.”
41
The other ten disciples later heard about what James and John had requested. So they said they were unhappy with the two disciples.
42
Then Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that kings and others who rule over people enjoy showing that they are powerful. You also know that their officials enjoy commanding others.
43
But do not be like them! On the contrary, all those among you who want God to consider them great must become like servants to the rest of you.
44
Furthermore, if anyone among you wants God to consider him to be the most important, he must act like a slave for the rest of you.
45
I, the Son of Man, did not come to be served. On the contrary, I came to serve others and to free many people by giving my life for them.”

Jesus Heals Bartimaeus

(Matthew 20:29–34; Luke 18:35–43)
46
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho. Then, while they were leaving Jericho along with a great crowd, a blind man who habitually begged for money was sitting beside the road. His name was Bartimaeus, and his father’s name was Timaeus.
47
When he heard people say that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by, he shouted, “Jesus! You who are the Messiah descended from King David, be merciful to me!”
48
Many people scolded him and told him that he should be quiet. But he shouted even more, “You who are the Messiah descended from King David, be merciful to me!”
49
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him to come over here!” They called the blind man, saying, “Jesus is calling you! So cheer up and get up and come!”
50
He threw aside his cloak as he jumped up, and he came to Jesus.
51
Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Teacher, I want to be able to see again!”
52
Jesus said to him, “I am healing you because you believed in me. So you may go!” He could see immediately. And he went with Jesus along the road.
(Matthew 19:1–12)
1
He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them.
2
Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3
He answered, “What did Moses command you?”
4
They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”
5
But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment.
6
But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. (a)
7
For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife,
8
and the two will become one flesh, (b) so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9
What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
10
In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter.
11
He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.
12
If a woman herself divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

(Matthew 19:13–15; Luke 18:15–17)
13
They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them.
14
But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.
15
Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”
16
He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

The Rich Young Man

(Matthew 19:16–30; Luke 18:18–30)
17
As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18
Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God.
19
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not give false testimony,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’” (c)
20
He said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.”
21
Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”
22
But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.
23
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”
24
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!
25
It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”
26
They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”
27
Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”
28
Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all and have followed you.”
29
Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News,
30
but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.
31
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

The Third Prediction of the Passion

(Matthew 20:17–19; Luke 18:31–34)
32
They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him.
33
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles.
34
They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

The Request of James and John

(Matthew 20:20–28)
35
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”
36
He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37
They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left hand, in your glory.”
38
But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
39
They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;
40
but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.”
41
When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant toward James and John.
42
Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43
But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.
44
Whoever of you wants to become first among you shall be bondservant of all.
45
For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Bartimaeus

(Matthew 20:29–34; Luke 18:35–43)
46
They came to Jericho. As he went out from Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.
47
When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!”
48
Many rebuked him, that he should be quiet, but he cried out much more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”
49
Jesus stood still and said, “Call him.” They called the blind man, saying to him, “Cheer up! Get up. He is calling you!”
50
He, casting away his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
51
Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabboni,(d) that I may see again.”
52
Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

Footnotes

(a)10:6 ℘ Genesis 1:27
(b)10:8 ℘ Genesis 2:24
(c)10:19 ℘ Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20
(d)10:51 Rabboni is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for “great teacher.”