Luke 18:15-43

15People were also bringing babies to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on each child's head. But Jesus' disciples did not like this. They told the people that they should not do it.

16Then Jesus told the children to come to him. He said to his disciples, ‘Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of God is like.

17I tell you this: A person must become like a little child for God to rule in his life. If he does not become like a child, he will not come into the kingdom of God.’

18A Jewish ruler came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’

19Jesus asked him, ‘Why do you say that I am good? Only God is good. Nobody else.

20You know God's rules: “Do not have sex with anyone who is not your wife. Do not kill anyone. Do not rob anyone. Do not say things that are not true about people. Love your father and your mother, and obey them.” ’

21The man replied, ‘I have obeyed all these laws since I was a young man.’

22Jesus heard what he said and he replied, ‘There is still just one thing that you must do. You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’

23When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. This was because he was a very rich man.

24Jesus saw that the ruler had become sad. He said, ‘It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives.

25The hole in a needle is very small. A camel cannot go through it! But it is even more difficult than that for a rich person to let God rule in their life.’

26The people who were listening to Jesus said, ‘So perhaps God will not save anyone!’

27Jesus replied, ‘God can do things that are impossible for people to do.’

28Peter then said to Jesus, ‘Look! We have left everything that we had. Now we are your disciples.’

29Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you this: Some people have left their homes. Or they may have left their wife or their brothers. Or they may have left their parents or their children. They have done this to work for the kingdom of God.

30Now, in this world, God will give these people many more things than they have left behind. And in the future world they will live for ever with God.’

31Jesus took the 12 disciples away from the other people. ‘Listen!’ he said to them. ‘We are going to Jerusalem. There, many bad things will happen to me. All the things that God's prophets wrote down long ago about the Son of Man will now happen to me.

32The Jewish leaders will deliver me to people that are not Jews. They will laugh at me. They will say bad things against me. They will spit at me.

33They will hit me with whips and then they will kill me. But after three days, I will become alive again.’

34The 12 disciples did not understand any of these things. What Jesus said did not mean anything to them. So they did not know what Jesus was talking about.

35When Jesus was getting near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the side of the road. He was asking people to give him money.

36Then he heard a large crowd of people as they went along the road. So he asked the people near him what was happening.

37They told him, ‘Jesus from Nazareth is walking past.’

38The man began to shout out. ‘Jesus! Son of David! Please be kind to me and help me.’

39The people who were walking at the front of the crowd were angry with him. They told him that he should be quiet. But he started to shout even louder, ‘Son of David! Please help me!’

40Then Jesus stopped. He said to the people, ‘Bring that man to me.’ When the man came near, Jesus asked him,

41‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ the blind man replied, ‘I want to see again.’

42Jesus said to him, ‘See again! You are well now because you believed in me.’

43Immediately, the man could see again. He started to follow Jesus along the road. He was praising God. Many people saw what had happened. They also praised God.