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And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery."
13
The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them.
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The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom.
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Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."
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Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
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As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"
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Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God.
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You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."
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He said, "Teacher, I have - from my youth - kept them all!"
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Jesus looked him hard in the eye - and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."
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The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
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Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?"
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The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult.
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I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom."
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That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked.
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Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it."
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Peter tried another angle: "We left everything and followed you."
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Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land - whatever - because of me and the Message
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will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land - but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life!
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This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first."
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Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next.
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"Listen to me carefully. We're on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans,
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who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive."
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James and John, Zebedee's sons, came up to him. "Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us."
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"What is it? I'll see what I can do."