Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 357
18:35–19:18
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“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive
your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went
down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.
Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should
a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from
the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This
explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,
and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let
no one split apart what God has joined together.”
“Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a
written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your
hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell
you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits
adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”
Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to
marry!”
“Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom
God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs
by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of
Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his
hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents
for bothering him.
But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the
Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he
placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed
must I do to have eternal life?”
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One
who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal
life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man asked.
