Luke 18

He told them a parable about their need to pray always and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. A widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a time he refused. But afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow keeps troubling me, I will give her justice, so that she does not wear me out by continually coming.’” The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long in their case? I tell you, he will give them justice swiftly. Yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised everyone else: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed these things to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, the unrighteous, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of everything I acquire.’ But the tax collector stood far away and would not even lift his eyes to heaven. He kept beating his chest and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” People were bringing even infants to him so that he might touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked the people bringing them. But Jesus called the children to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” A ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “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 bear false witness; honor your father and mother.’” He said, “I have kept all these things from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became deeply sorrowful, for he was very rich. Jesus looked at him and said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard said, “Then who can be saved?” He said, “What is impossible with people is possible with God.” Peter said, “Look, we have left what is our own and followed you.” He said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted, and spat upon. After flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was being said. As he drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging. Hearing a crowd passing by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” He cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those leading the way rebuked him to make him quiet, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered 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, let me receive my sight.” Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

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