Daily Bread

The Rich and the Kingdom of God^(A)

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life^(B)?”^(C)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”^(D)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,^(E) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[a](F) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”^(G)

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^(H) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^(I) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(J) Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^(K) to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(L)

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^(M) What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(N) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(O) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^{(P) 30} But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.^(Q)