18One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.G1161G3004G2532G3850G846G4314G1163G3842G4336G2532G3361G15732"There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people.G3004G2258G1722G5100G4172G5100G2923G5399G3361G2316G2532G3361G1788G4443A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.'G1161G2258G5503G1722G1565G4172G2532G2064G4314G846G3004G1556G3165G575G3450G4764The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people,G2532G2309G3756G1909G5550G1161G5023G3326G2036G1722G1438G1499G5399G3756G2316G2532G3756G1788G4445but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'"G1065G1223G5026G5503G3930G2873G3427G1556G846G3363G1519G5056G2064G5299G31656Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.G1161G2962G2036G191G5101G93G2923G30047Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?G1161G1557G3364G2316G4160G1557G846G1588G3588G994G2250G2532G3571G4314G846G2532G3114G1909G8468I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"G3004G5213G3754G4160G1557G846G5034G1722G4133G687G5207G444G2064G2147G4102G1909G10939Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.G1161G2036G2532G5026G3850G4314G5100G3588G3982G1909G1438G3754G1526G1342G2532G1848G306210"Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.G1417G444G305G1519G2411G4336G1520G5330G2532G2087G505711The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector!G5330G2476G4336G5023G4314G1438G2316G2168G4671G3754G1510G3756G5618G3062G444G727G94G3432G2228G2532G5613G3778G505712I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.'G3522G1364G4521G586G3956G3745G293213"But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.'G2532G5057G2476G3113G2309G3756G1869G3761G3788G1519G3772G235G5180G1519G846G4738G3004G2316G2433G3427G26814I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."G3004G5213G3778G2597G1519G846G3624G1344G2228G1565G3754G3956G5312G1438G5013G1161G5013G1438G531215One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.G1161G4374G846G2532G1025G2443G680G846G1161G3101G1492G2008G84616Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.G1161G2424G4341G846G2036G863G3813G2064G4314G3165G2532G2967G846G3361G1063G5108G2076G932G231617I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."G281G3004G5213G3739G1209G3362G1209G932G2316G5613G3813G1525G3364G1525G1519G84618Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"G2532G5100G758G1905G846G3004G18G1320G5101G4160G2816G166G222219"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good.G1161G2424G2036G846G5101G3004G3165G18G3762G18G1508G1520G231620But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'"G1492G1785G3431G3361G3431G5407G3361G5407G2813G3361G2813G5576G3361G5576G5091G4675G3962G2532G4675G338421The man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."G1161G2036G3956G5023G5442G1537G3450G350322When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."G1161G2424G191G5023G2036G846G2089G3007G4671G1520G4453G3956G3745G2192G2532G1239G4434G2532G2192G2344G1722G3772G2532G1204G190G342723But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.G1161G191G5023G1096G4036G1063G2258G4970G414524When Jesus saw this, he said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!G1161G2424G1492G846G1096G4036G2036G4459G1423G1525G2192G5536G1525G1519G932G231625In fact, 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!"G1063G2076G2123G2574G1525G1223G4476G5168G2228G4145G1525G1519G932G231626Those who heard this said, "Then who in the world can be saved?"G1161G191G2036G5101G2532G1410G498227He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."G1161G2036G102G3844G444G2076G1415G3844G231628Peter said, "We've left our homes to follow you."G1161G4074G2036G2400G2249G863G3956G2532G190G467129"Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God,G1161G2036G846G281G3004G5213G3754G2076G3762G3739G863G3614G2228G1118G2228G80G2228G1135G2228G5043G1752G932G2316G175230will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come."G3739G618G3364G618G4179G1722G5129G2540G2532G1722G165G2064G2222G16631Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.G1161G3880G1427G2036G4314G846G2400G305G1519G2414G2532G3956G1125G1223G4396G5207G444G505532He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.G1063G3860G1484G2532G1702G2532G5195G2532G171633They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again."G2532G3146G615G846G615G2532G5154G2250G45034But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.G2532G846G4920G3762G5130G2532G5124G4487G2258G2928G575G846G2532G3756G1097G300435As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.G1161G1096G1722G846G1448G1519G2410G5100G5185G2521G3844G3598G431936When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.G1161G191G3793G1279G4441G5101G5124G149837They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by.G1161G518G846G3754G2424G3480G392838So he began shouting, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"G2532G994G3004G2424G5207G1138G1653G316539"Be quiet!" the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"G2532G4254G2008G846G2443G4623G1161G846G2896G4183G3123G5207G1138G1653G316540When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him,G1161G2424G2476G2753G846G71G4314G846G1161G846G1448G1905G84641"What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to see!"G3004G5101G2309G4160G4671G1161G2036G2962G2443G30842And Jesus said, "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you."G2532G2424G2036G846G308G4675G4102G4982G457143Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.G2532G3916G308G2532G190G846G1392G2316G2532G3956G2992G1492G1325G136G2316
Dublin, OH
returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"G3004
