18Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit.G1161G3004G2532G3850G846G4314G1163G3842G4336G2532G3361G15732He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people.G3004G2258G1722G5100G4172G5100G2923G5399G3361G2316G2532G3361G1788G4443A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'G1161G2258G5503G1722G1565G4172G2532G2064G4314G846G3004G1556G3165G575G3450G4764"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think.G2532G2309G3756G1909G5550G1161G5023G3326G2036G1722G1438G1499G5399G3756G2316G2532G3756G1788G4445But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'"G1065G1223G5026G5503G3930G2873G3427G1556G846G3363G1519G5056G2064G5299G31656Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying?G1161G2962G2036G191G5101G93G2923G30047So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them?G1161G1557G3364G2316G4160G1557G846G1588G3588G994G2250G2532G3571G4314G846G2532G3114G1909G8468I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"G3004G5213G3754G4160G1557G846G5034G1722G4133G687G5207G444G2064G2147G4102G1909G10939He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people:G1161G2036G2532G5026G3850G4314G5100G3588G3982G1909G1438G3754G1526G1342G2532G1848G306210"Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man.G1417G444G305G1519G2411G4336G1520G5330G2532G2087G505711The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man.G5330G2476G4336G5023G4314G1438G2316G2168G4671G3754G1510G3756G5618G3062G444G727G94G3432G2228G2532G5613G3778G505712I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'G3522G1364G4521G586G3956G3745G293213"Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'"G2532G5057G2476G3113G2309G3756G1869G3761G3788G1519G3772G235G5180G1519G846G4738G3004G2316G2433G3427G26814Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."G3004G5213G3778G2597G1519G846G3624G1344G2228G1565G3754G3956G5312G1438G5013G1161G5013G1438G531215People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off.G1161G4374G846G2532G1025G2443G680G846G1161G3101G1492G2008G84616Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy.G1161G2424G4341G846G2036G863G3813G2064G4314G3165G2532G2967G846G3361G1063G5108G2076G932G231617Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."G281G3004G5213G3739G1209G3362G1209G932G2316G5613G3813G1525G3364G1525G1519G84618One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?"G2532G5100G758G1905G846G3004G18G1320G5101G4160G2816G166G222219Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God.G1161G2424G2036G846G5101G3004G3165G18G3762G18G1508G1520G231620You know the commandments, don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother."G1492G1785G3431G3361G3431G5407G3361G5407G2813G3361G2813G5576G3361G5576G5091G4675G3962G2532G4675G338421He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember."G1161G2036G3956G5023G5442G1537G3450G350322When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me."G1161G2424G191G5023G2036G846G2089G3007G4671G1520G4453G3956G3745G2192G2532G1239G4434G2532G2192G2344G1722G3772G2532G1204G190G342723This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.G1161G191G5023G1096G4036G1063G2258G4970G414524Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God's kingdom?G1161G2424G1492G846G1096G4036G2036G4459G1423G1525G2192G5536G1525G1519G932G231625I'd say it's easier to thread a camel through a needle's eye than get a rich person into God's kingdom."G1063G2076G2123G2574G1525G1223G4476G5168G2228G4145G1525G1519G932G231626"Then who has any chance at all?" the others asked.G1161G191G2036G5101G2532G1410G498227"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."G1161G2036G102G3844G444G2076G1415G3844G231628Peter tried to regain some initiative: "We left everything we owned and followed you, didn't we?"G1161G4074G2036G2400G2249G863G3956G2532G190G467129"Yes," said Jesus, "and you won't regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children—whatever—G1161G2036G846G281G3004G5213G3754G2076G3762G3739G863G3614G2228G1118G2228G80G2228G1135G2228G5043G1752G932G2316G175230will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!"G3739G618G3364G618G4179G1722G5129G2540G2532G1722G165G2064G2222G16631Then 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.G1161G3880G1427G2036G4314G846G2400G305G1519G2414G2532G3956G1125G1223G4396G5207G444G505532He will be handed over to the Romans, jeered at, made sport of, and spit on. Then, after giving him the third degree, they will kill him.G1063G3860G1484G2532G1702G2532G5195G2532G171633In three days he will rise, alive."G2532G3146G615G846G615G2532G5154G2250G45034But they didn't get it, could make neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about.G2532G846G4920G3762G5130G2532G5124G4487G2258G2928G575G846G2532G3756G1097G300435He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts.G1161G1096G1722G846G1448G1519G2410G5100G5185G2521G3844G3598G431936When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on.G1161G191G3793G1279G4441G5101G5124G149837They told him, "Jesus the Nazarene is going by."G1161G518G846G3754G2424G3480G392838He yelled, "Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"G2532G994G3004G2424G5207G1138G1653G316539Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"G2532G4254G2008G846G2443G4623G1161G846G2896G4183G3123G5207G1138G1653G316540Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked,G1161G2424G2476G2753G846G71G4314G846G1161G846G1448G1905G84641"What do you want from me?" He said, "Master, I want to see again."G3004G5101G2309G4160G4671G1161G2036G2962G2443G30842Jesus said, "Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!"G2532G2424G2036G846G308G4675G4102G4982G457143The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.G2532G3916G308G2532G190G846G1392G2316G2532G3956G2992G1492G1325G136G2316
Dublin, OH
