24-25 Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God’s kingdom? I’d say it’s easier to thread a camel through a needle’s eye than get a rich person into God’s kingdom.”

26 “Then who has any chance at all?” the others asked.

27 “No chance at all,” Jesus said, “if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

28 Peter tried to regain some initiative: “We left everything we owned and followed you, didn’t we?”

29-30 “Yes,” said Jesus, “and you won’t regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children—whatever—will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!”

I Want to See Again

31-34 Then Jesus took the Twelve off to the side and said, “Listen carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. Everything written in the Prophets about the Son of Man will take place. He will be handed over to the Romans, jeered at, ridiculed, and spit on. Then, after giving him the third degree, they will kill him. In three days he will rise, alive.” But they didn’t get it, could make neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about.

35-37 He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.”

38 He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

39 Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, “What do you want from me?”

41 He said, “Master, I want to see again.”

42-43 Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!” The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.

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24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!(A) 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”(B)

28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”(C)

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come(D) eternal life.”(E)

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time(F)

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem,(G) and everything that is written by the prophets(H) about the Son of Man(I) will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles.(J) They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him(K) and kill him.(L) On the third day(M) he will rise again.”(N)

34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.(O)

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight(P)

35 As Jesus approached Jericho,(Q) a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”(R)

38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David,(S) have mercy(T) on me!”

39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”(U)

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”(V) 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.(W)

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