1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:[ † ]Luke 11:5-10Romans 12:12Ephesians 6:18Colossians 4:21 Thessalonians 5:17 2“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men, 5yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Otherwise, she will wear me out with her perpetual requests.’”[ † ]Luke 11:8
6And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. 7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?[ † ]Revelation 6:10 8I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”[ † ]Hebrews 10:372 Peter 3:8-9
9To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:[ † ]Proverbs 30:12Luke 10:29Luke 16:15 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.[ † ]Psalms 135:2Isaiah 1:15Isaiah 58:2Revelation 3:17 12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”[ † ]Job 22:29Matthew 23:12Luke 14:11James 4:61 Peter 5:5
15Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.[ † ]Matthew 19:13-15Mark 10:13-16
16But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.[ † ]Matthew 18:31 Corinthians 14:201 Peter 2:2 17Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”[ † ]Matthew 18:3Matthew 19:14Mark 10:15
18Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”[ † ]Matthew 19:16-29Mark 10:17-30
19“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.[ † ]Psalms 86:5Psalms 119:68 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”[ † ]Exodus 20:12-16Deuteronomy 5:16-20Mark 10:19Romans 13:9Ephesians 6:2Colossians 3:20
21“All these I have kept from my youth,” he said.[ † ]Philippians 3:6
22On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”[ † ]Matthew 6:19-20Matthew 19:211 Timothy 6:19
23But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
24Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God![ † ]Proverbs 11:28Matthew 19:23Mark 10:23 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”[ † ]Job 42:2Jeremiah 32:17Zechariah 8:6Matthew 19:26Luke 1:37
28“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.”[ † ]Matthew 19:27
29“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God[ † ]Deuteronomy 33:9 30will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”[ † ]Job 42:10
31Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.[ † ]Matthew 16:21Matthew 17:22Matthew 20:17Mark 10:32Luke 9:51Psalms 22Isaiah 53 32He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.[ † ]Matthew 26:67Matthew 27:2-29, 41Mark 14:65Mark 15:1-19, 20, 31Luke 23:1John 18:28Acts 3:13 33They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”
34But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.[ † ]Mark 9:32Luke 2:50Luke 9:45John 10:6John 12:16
35As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.[ † ]Matthew 20:29-34Mark 10:46-52 36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
37“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.
38So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”[ † ]Matthew 9:27
39Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to Him. When he had come near, Jesus asked him,
41“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”
42“Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”[ † ]Luke 17:19 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.[ † ]Luke 5:26Acts 4:21Acts 11:18