3-9 Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 116
10-12 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 138, 169
1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2 and large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”
19:1 και εγενετο οτε ετελεσεν ο ιησους τους λογους τουτους μετηρεν απο της γαλιλαιας και ηλθεν εις τα ορια της ιουδαιας περαν του ιορδανου 19:2 και ηκολουθησαν αυτω οχλοι πολλοι και εθεραπευσεν αυτους εκει
19:3 και προσηλθον αυτω οι φαρισαιοι πειραζοντες αυτον και λεγοντες αυτω ει εξεστιν ανθρωπω απολυσαι την γυναικα αυτου κατα πασαν αιτιαν 19:4 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις ουκ ανεγνωτε οτι ο ποιησας απ αρχης αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους 19:5 και ειπεν ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα [αυτου] και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται τη γυναικι αυτου και εσονται οι δυο εις σαρκα μιαν 19:6 ωστε ουκετι εισιν δυο αλλα σαρξ μια ο ουν ο θεος συνεζευξεν ανθρωπος μη χωριζετω 19:7 λεγουσιν αυτω τι ουν μωσης ενετειλατο δουναι βιβλιον αποστασιου και απολυσαι αυτην 19:8 λεγει αυτοις οτι μωσης προς την σκληροκαρδιαν υμων επετρεψεν υμιν απολυσαι τας γυναικας υμων απ αρχης δε ου γεγονεν ουτως 19:9 λεγω δε υμιν οτι ος αν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου μη επι πορνεια και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται και ο απολελυμενην γαμησας μοιχαται
19:10 λεγουσιν αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου ει ουτως εστιν η αιτια του ανθρωπου μετα της γυναικος ου συμφερει γαμησαι 19:11 ο δε ειπεν αυτοις ου παντες χωρουσιν τον λογον τουτον αλλ οις δεδοται 19:12 εισιν γαρ ευνουχοι οιτινες εκ κοιλιας μητρος εγεννηθησαν ουτως και εισιν ευνουχοι οιτινες ευνουχισθησαν υπο των ανθρωπων και εισιν ευνουχοι οιτινες ευνουχισαν εαυτους δια την βασιλειαν των ουρανων ο δυναμενος χωρειν χωρειτω
Søren Kierkegaard, “Childish Orthodoxy,” Provocations, p. 196-198
Giovanni Pascoli, “Jesus,” Divine Inspiration, p. 213
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; 14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.
19:13 τοτε προσηνεχθη αυτω παιδια ινα τας χειρας επιθη αυτοις και προσευξηται οι δε μαθηται επετιμησαν αυτοις 19:14 ο δε ιησους ειπεν αφετε τα παιδια και μη κωλυετε αυτα ελθειν προς με των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια των ουρανων 19:15 και επιθεις αυτοις τας χειρας επορευθη εκειθεν
Bill McKibben, “Job and Matthew,” Communion, p. 367-380
John Shea, The Spirit Master, p. 173
22 Anthony Thorold, Joy and Strength, p. 123
Joy and Strength
We too in our own way have often a quiet impression that we are keeping all the commandments sufficiently and inheriting eternal life.
One day a tremendous duty opens before us and we are aghast at its hardness. What shall we do? What shall we answer? Is Christ deserving of everything from us or only of part? It is a tremendous test which all cannot stand.
23-26 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 127, 166
30 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 49, 152
16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man 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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold,l and inherit eternal life. 30 But many that are first will be last, and the last first.
19:16 και ιδου εις προσελθων ειπεν αυτω διδασκαλε αγαθε τι αγαθον ποιησω ινα εχω ζωην αιωνιον 19:17 ο δε ειπεν αυτω τι με λεγεις αγαθον ουδεις αγαθος ει μη εις ο θεος ει δε θελεις εισελθειν εις την ζωην τηρησον τας εντολας 19:18 λεγει αυτω ποιας ο δε ιησους ειπεν το ου φονευσεις ου μοιχευσεις ου κλεψεις ου ψευδομαρτυρησεις 19:19 τιμα τον πατερα και την μητερα και αγαπησεις τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον 19:20 λεγει αυτω ο νεανισκος παντα ταυτα εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου τι ετι υστερω 19:21 εφη αυτω ο ιησους ει θελεις τελειος ειναι υπαγε πωλησον σου τα υπαρχοντα και δος πτωχοις και εξεις θησαυρον εν ουρανω και δευρο ακολουθει μοι 19:22 ακουσας δε ο νεανισκος τον λογον απηλθεν λυπουμενος ην γαρ εχων κτηματα πολλα
19:23 ο δε ιησους ειπεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου αμην λεγω υμιν οτι δυσκολως πλουσιος εισελευσεται εις την βασιλειαν των ουρανων 19:24 παλιν δε λεγω υμιν ευκοπωτερον εστιν καμηλον δια τρυπηματος ραφιδος διελθειν η πλουσιον εις την βασιλειαν του θεου εισελθειν 19:25 ακουσαντες δε οι μαθηται αυτου εξεπλησσοντο σφοδρα λεγοντες τις αρα δυναται σωθηναι 19:26 εμβλεψας δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις παρα ανθρωποις τουτο αδυνατον εστιν παρα δε θεω παντα δυνατα [εστιν]
19:27 τοτε αποκριθεις ο πετρος ειπεν αυτω ιδου ημεις αφηκαμεν παντα και ηκολουθησαμεν σοι τι αρα εσται ημιν 19:28 ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι υμεις οι ακολουθησαντες μοι εν τη παλιγγενεσια οταν καθιση ο υιος του ανθρωπου επι θρονου δοξης αυτου καθισεσθε και υμεις επι δωδεκα θρονους κρινοντες τας δωδεκα φυλας του ισραηλ 19:29 και πας ος αφηκεν οικιας η αδελφους η αδελφας η πατερα η μητερα η γυναικα η τεκνα η αγρους ενεκεν του ονοματος μου εκατονταπλασιονα ληψεται και ζωην αιωνιον κληρονομησει 19:30 πολλοι δε εσονται πρωτοι εσχατοι και εσχατοι πρωτοι