The Life of Jesus

For this reason, a man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife,

and the two are to become one flesh. Thus they are no longer two, but one.

So then, no one should break apart what God has joined together."

When they were indoors once more, the talmidim asked him about this.

He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife;

and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she too commits adultery."

People were bringing children to him so that he might touch them, but the talmidim rebuked those people.

However, when Yeshua saw it, he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me, don't stop them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Yes! I tell you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it!"

And he took them in his arms, laid his hands on them, and made a b'rakhah over them.

As he was starting on his way, a man ran up, kneeled down in front of him and asked, "Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?"

Yeshua said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good except God!

You know the mitzvot -- `Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't give false testimony, don't defraud, honor your father and mother, . .'"

"Rabbi," he said, "I have kept all these since I was a boy."

Yeshua, looking at him, felt love for him and said to him, "You're missing one thing. Go, sell whatever you own, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!"

Shocked by this word, he went away sad; because he was a wealthy man.

Yeshua looked around and said to his talmidim, "How hard it is going to be for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!"

The talmidim were astounded at these words; but Yeshua said to them again, "My friends, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!

It's easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

They were utterly amazed and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"

Yeshua looked at them and said, "Humanly, it is impossible, but not with God; with God, every thing is possible."

Kefa began saying to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you."

Yeshua said, "Yes! I tell you that there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

who will not receive a hundred times over, now, in the `olam hazeh, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands -- with persecutions! -- and in the `olam haba, eternal life.

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first!"