CHAPTER 18
And
there was
a widow
in
that
town
who kept appealing
to
him,
‘Give me justice
against
my
adversary.’
For
a while
he refused,
but
later
he
said
to
himself,
‘Even
though
I do not fear
God
or
respect
men,
yet
because
this
widow
keeps pestering me,
I will give her justice.
Then
she will stop wearing me out
with her perpetual requests.’”
Will not
God
bring about
justice for
His
elect
who
cry out
to Him
day
and
night?
Will He continue to defer
their help?
I tell
you,
He will promptly carry out
justice
on their behalf.
Nevertheless,
when the
Son
of Man
comes,
will He find
faith
on
earth?”
To
some
who
trusted
in
their own
righteousness
and
viewed
others with contempt,
He also told
this
parable:
The
Pharisee
stood
by
himself
and prayed,
‘God,
I thank
You
that
I am
not
like
the
other
men—
swindlers,
evildoers,
adulterers—
or
even
like
this
tax collector.
But
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!'
I 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.”
Now
people were even bringing
their
babies
to Jesus
for
Him to place His hands
on them.
And when
the
disciples
saw this,
they rebuked
them.
But
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.
Truly
I tell
you,
if
anyone
does not receive
the
kingdom
of God
like
a little child,
he will never enter
it.”
You know
the
commandments:
‘Do not commit adultery,
do not murder,
do not steal,
do not bear false witness,
honor
your
father
and
mother.’”
On
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."
Indeed,
it is
easier for
a camel
to pass
through
an eye
of a needle
than for
a rich man
to enter
the
kingdom
of God.”
“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
Then
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.
But
the disciples
did not understand any
of these things.
The
meaning
was
hidden
from
them,
and
they did not comprehend
what
He was saying.
Those who
led the way
admonished
him
to be silent,
but
he cried out
all the
louder,
“Son
of David,
have mercy on
me.”
Jesus
stopped
and directed that
the man
be brought
to
Him.
When
he
had been brought near,
Jesus asked
him,
Immediately
he received his sight
and
followed
Jesus,
glorifying
God.
And
all
the
people
who saw this
gave
praise
to God.