1Efter at Jesus havde undervist sine disciple om tilgivelse, tog de af sted fra Galilæa og vandrede gennem det jødiske område på den østlige side af Jordanfloden. (Mark 10,1; Luk 16,18)2Mange mennesker fulgte ham, og han helbredte dem, der var syge.3Nogle farisæere prøvede at stille en fælde for Jesus og spurgte: „Har en mand lov til at skille sig fra sin kone uanset af hvilken grund?”4-5Jesus svarede: „Har I ikke læst, at Gud fra begyndelsen skabte mennesket som mand og kvinde og sagde, at manden skal forlade sin far og mor og knytte sig til sin kone, og de to skal blive ét?[1] (1.Mos 2,24)6Altså er de ikke længere to, men en enhed. Det, som Gud på den måde har sammenføjet, må intet menneske splitte ad.”7„Hvordan kan det så være, at Moses har sagt, at en mand godt må skille sig fra sin kone, når bare han giver hende et skilsmissebrev?”[2] fortsatte farisæerne. (5.Mos 24,1)8„Den indrømmelse gav Moses på grund af menneskers uforsonlige holdning, men det var ikke Guds mening fra begyndelsen,” svarede Jesus.9„Det siger jeg jer: Hvis en mand skiller sig fra sin kone af nogen anden grund end utroskab fra hendes side og derefter gifter sig med en anden, så er han skyldig i ægteskabsbrud over for den første.”10„Så er det nok bedre aldrig at gifte sig!” udbrød disciplene.11„Det er ikke enhver, som kan forstå og tage til sig, hvad jeg siger, kun hvem det er givet,” svarede Jesus.12„Der er nogle, som forbliver ugifte, fordi de fra fødslen af er ude af stand til at fuldbyrde et ægteskab, og andre, fordi mennesker har gjort dem ude af stand til det. Endelig er der nogle, der afstår fra ægteskab for Guds riges skyld. Den, som kan forstå det, kan tage det til sig.”
Hvordan man får adgang til Guds rige
13Derefter bragte nogle forældre deres børn hen til Jesus, for at han skulle lægge hænderne på dem og velsigne dem. Men disciplene ville jage dem bort. (Mark 10,13; Luk 18,15)14„Lad børnene være i fred,” sagde Jesus. „I må ikke hindre dem i at komme til mig, for det er sådan nogle som dem, der får adgang til Guds rige.”15Så lagde han hænderne på dem og velsignede dem. Derefter brød de alle op og gik videre.
Hvordan man får det evige liv
16Så kom der en mand og spurgte: „Mester, sig mig: Hvad godt skal jeg gøre for at få del i det kommende liv?” (Mark 10,17; Luk 18,18)17„Hvorfor spørger du mig om det gode?” svarede Jesus. „Der er jo kun én, der er god, nemlig Gud selv. Men hvis du ønsker at gå ind til livet, så hold Guds bud.”18„Hvilke bud tænker du på?” spurgte manden. „Du må ikke begå drab, du må ikke bryde ægteskabet, du må ikke stjæle, du må ikke anklage nogen på falsk grundlag,19du skal ære din far og din mor—og du skal elske din næste som dig selv.”20„Dem har jeg overholdt alle sammen,” svarede den unge mand. „Er der mere, jeg skal gøre?”21„Hvis du virkelig vil opnå det fuldkomne liv, så gå hen og sælg alt, hvad du ejer, og giv pengene til de fattige. Så skal du få del i Himlens rigdom—og kom så og følg mig!”22Da den unge mand hørte det svar, gik han bedrøvet sin vej. Han var nemlig meget rig.23Så sagde Jesus til disciplene: „Det siger jeg jer: Det er ikke let at komme ind i Guds rige, når man er bundet af sin rigdom.24Ja, faktisk er det lettere for en kamel at gå gennem et nåleøje, end det er for en rig at gå ind i Guds rige.”25Disciplene var dybt rystede. „Hvem kan så få det evige liv?” spurgte de.26Jesus så på dem og sagde: „Det kan intet menneske opnå af sig selv, men Gud kan gøre alt.”
Lønnen for at følge Jesus
27„Men vi har forladt alt for at følge dig. Hvad får vi så ud af det?” spurgte Peter. (Mark 10,28; Luk 18,28; Luk 22,28)28Jesus svarede: „Det siger jeg jer: Når Menneskesønnen sidder på sin herlighedstrone i den kommende verden, så skal I, mine disciple, sidde på 12 troner og regere over Israels 12 stammer.29Alle, som har forladt deres hjem, brødre, søstre, far, mor, børn eller deres job for at følge mig, skal få det 100 gange igen—og de skal få det evige liv!30Men mange, der her på jorden regnes blandt de store, vil i Guds rige være de mindste. Og mange af dem, der her er blandt de mindste, vil dér være de største.”
1Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. (Matt 4,25; Matt 17,24; Mark 10,1; Luk 9,51; Luk 17,11; Joh 10,40)2And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. (Matt 12,15)3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” (Matt 5,31; Joh 8,6)4He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, (1.Mos 1,27; 1.Mos 2,18; 1.Mos 2,21; 1.Mos 5,2; Matt 21,16)5and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? (1.Mos 2,24; Mal 2,15; 1.Kor 6,16; Ef 5,31)6So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (1.Kor 7,10)7They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” (5.Mos 24,1)8He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (Mark 3,5; Mark 6,52; Mark 16,14; Heb 3,8)9And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[1] (Matt 5,32)10The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”11But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. (Matt 13,11; Matt 20,23; 1.Kor 7,2; 1.Kor 7,7; 1.Kor 7,17)12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” (1.Kor 7,32)
Let the Children Come to Me
13Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, (Mark 10,13; Mark 10,48; Luk 18,15)14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18,3; Mark 9,39)15And he laid his hands on them and went away.
The Rich Young Man
16And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matt 18,8; Matt 19,29; Matt 25,46; Mark 10,17; Luk 10,25; Luk 18,18)17And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” (3.Mos 18,5; Neh 9,29; Ez 20,11; Ez 20,13; Ez 20,21; Rom 10,5; Gal 3,12)18He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, (2.Mos 20,12; 5.Mos 5,16; Matt 5,21; Matt 5,27; Rom 13,9)19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (3.Mos 19,18; Matt 5,43; Matt 22,39; Mark 12,31; Luk 10,27; Gal 5,14; Jak 2,8)20The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” (Filip 3,6)21Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matt 5,48; Matt 6,19; Luk 12,33; Luk 16,9; Luk 19,8; Ap G 2,45; Ap G 4,34; 1.Tim 6,18)22When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Ez 33,31)23And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 13,22; 1.Kor 1,26)24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt 12,28; Mark 10,24)25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”26But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (1.Mos 18,14; Job 42,2; Jer 32,17; Jer 32,27; Zak 8,6; Mark 10,21; Mark 14,36; Luk 1,37; Luk 22,61)27Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” (Matt 4,20; Matt 4,22; Mark 1,18; Mark 1,20)28Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,[2] when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matt 16,27; Luk 22,30; 1.Kor 6,2; Åb 3,21)29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold[3] and will inherit eternal life. (Matt 19,16; Matt 25,34; Luk 14,26)30But many who are first will be last, and the last first. (Matt 20,16; Matt 21,31; Mark 10,31; Luk 13,30)