Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 21 February 2018

This is going to be a long one, I think, and probably not sent out until later.

So often, in that weird world that I inhabit in the early morning, not quite awake, not quite asleep, in some sort of "other place", I was hearing / thinking / meditating on some things.  It happens.  Not always, but frequently.  More frequently these days than was once the case.

Some parallels I was considering.
I live now in an area that has "seen better days".  An understatement if there ever was one.  My somewhat unusual life experiences have had me in a lot of places and circumstances that better people than I have avoided. 
I drive on my errands, or, sometimes, see stories on the news, particularly of local matters, and use such tools as Google Earth street view to look at those neighborhoods and areas where some of these things, the bad ones, have occurred.  I often see areas that I once knew.  Entire streets where families once lived, children once played, and all the things we somehow regard as "normal life" went on.  Long stretches of abandoned factories, even empty hospitals.  Many of those homes burned out and demolished, leaving weed-choked lots.  Building that housed businesses, churches, schools, and such, now fallen in.  Defaced with graffiti, doors blocked with steel gates, windows boarded up, sometimes with roofs fallen in.  Some of those buildings, the commercial ones in particular, have been "re-purposed" several times over the course of their existences.  And then abandoned.  Knowing as I do, having "been there", I know something of the excitement and expectations that accompanied some of these original constructions, and several of the "re-purposing" efforts as well.  Now, too often, empty shells, falling apart.  All too much like the motivations that probably accompanied the efforts of the people of Babel and their tower.  The once well known poem regarding Ozymandias is on point.  People, good people probably, intelligent, thrifty, motivated, and dedicated, built their lives around these efforts, ones that would be a monument to them.  Now, less of a monument than some of the ornate ones I see in some of the older local cemeteries.

And there are parallels.  I have seen, and perhaps been, one of those who spend a lifetime being "worldly-wise".  Totally occupied with things that, in an eternal sense at least (and often in the temporal sense as well, just don't matter.  Examples are not hard to find, are they? 

An empty, abandoned structure is a sad sight.
An empty, nearly abandoned, shell of a human being in worse by far.  The empty and dusty corridors, the broken windows, the emptiness of it all, is sad, and truly should be.  We've all seen the shouts of small children running and playing.  And, especially for those of us who have "lived a while", the transition, in people we once knew personally, from that energetic child to a shell of a man or woman, is a tragic sight.
Many years ago, around 25 in fact, I took a job with what was said to be the "most admired corporation in America".  (Don't look it up, it no longer exists in a recognizable form).  They immediately arranged for my attendance at a several-day-long seminar of the Franklin Covey bunch.  Not bad, all in all, and one of their biggies was "begin with the end in mind".  That's good for a project engineer, which was my title.  It's better for a person of any calling.  And it is absolutely so for a Christian.  What does my attitude, what do my habits, what do my words and intents, what is my life, pointed towards?  Is it honoring the Lord and expanding His kingdom, is it growing ever closer to Him and seeking Him every moment?  Or are those things we turn to on occasion, like we do our lunch?
I'm tired and saddened at all the empty shells of humans that I see.  The Lord has been very kind and gracious towards me.  Have I responded appropriately??   Have I truly grown in Him?  Have I pointed  others to Him?  Have I truly lived out that line in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done"? 

What to do?  How to respond?  What is the Lord intending for us to do?


and we need to be sure of our own motives and conduct.  We are representing Him, as well.
I listened in sorrow, just this morning, to an account from a young lady, a member of the extended family on Wife's side, recount a tale.  The story involved a contremps that they'd had at her work just yesterday afternoon.  An employee there is notorious for sloth, drunken conduct, bad language, bad behavior towards customers, and much else.  I would have fired him long since, but evidently he's got someone on his side.  But anyway, she went on to say that his father is a pastor.  Which is not good, Then went on to say that the guy's father became a pastor while in prison over a drunken wreck that killed three members of another family, and somehow "found God" while there.  Well, I do believe in miracles, and the Lord has rescued quite a few sinners, me included.  But then she continued to say that, yes, the guy is a pastor in the area.  But that "finding God" hasn't changed his conduct.  He still drinks, curses energetically, and in general behaves pretty much as he did before he "found God".  Somehow, I don't think that the Lord is glorified in all that.
But I have seen more than a few cases that aren't much better.  And I don't mean "just" the instance this last weekend where a COGIC pastor and wife committed an armed robbery IN THE CHURCH!  Or the two cases in central Alabama, both quite near to where we lived for a number of years.  The senior pastor of a very large Methodist church involved in numerous improper relationships with parishoners.  Or the pastor of a Missionary Baptist church near our house, he had fully-developed AIDS, but was still having sexual relationships with parishioners IN THE CHURCH HOUSE.  I don't think his wife was happy about it.  Now, that's gross.  But I've had reports that some of the worst behavior at sporting events are often at church league softball games.  Not good.
We represent Him.  We owe it to Him to do it well.

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The Old Testament passage for the day is chapters 13 and 14 of Leviticus.
This deals with an issue we pretty much never hear about these days.  Leprosy.
There are some pretty interesting commentaries out there on the matter, all done by persons much more learned than Yours  Truly.  One thing that I have been told since a child is that the disease now called Leprosy is really something called Hanson's Disease, and is not the same thing.  I do know that when we lived on the Oklahoma-Arkansas line, we would frequently see dead armadillos along the road.  Locals called them "possum on the half shell", which was sort of a local joke.  What was not a joke, was that they are said to be carriers of that Hanson's Disease/leprosy, and we were enjoined to not touch them.  We didn't.  In the time of the Exodus and the resulting kingdom, leprosy was thought to be a sign of sin.  Perhaps.

Leviticus 13

1  And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,

2  When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:rising: or, swelling

3  And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

4  If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:

5  And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:

6  And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

7  But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:

8  And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.

9  When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest;

10  And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising;quick…: Heb. the quickening of living flesh

11  It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.

12  And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;

13  Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.

14  But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.

15  And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.

16  Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest;

17  And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.

18  The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,

19  And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest;

20  And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.

21  But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:

22  And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.

23  But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24  Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white;a hot…: Heb. a burning of fire

25  Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

26  But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days:

27  And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

28  And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning.

29  If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;

30  Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

31  And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days:

32  And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;

33  He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more:

34  And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

35  But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;

36  Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.

37  But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

38  If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots;

39  Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.

40  And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.hair…: Heb. head is pilled

41  And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.

42  And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead.

43  Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh;

44  He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.

45  And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.

46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

47  The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;

48  Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin;thing…: Heb. work of

49  And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:thing: Heb. vessel, or, instrument

50  And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days:

51  And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean.

52  He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.

53  And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin;

54  Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more:

55  And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without.whether…: Heb. whether it be bald in the head thereof, or in the forehead thereof

56  And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:

57  And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.

58  And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.

59  This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

Leviticus 14

 1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

3And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

4Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:birds: or, sparrows

5And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:

6As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

7And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.into…: Heb. upon the face of the field

8And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

9But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

10And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.of the…: Heb. the daughter of her year

11And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

12And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord:

13And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:

14And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

15And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:

16And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord:

17And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:

18And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.

19And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:

20And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

21And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;cannot…: Heb. his hand reach notto be…: Heb. for a waving

22And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.

23And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord.

24And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord:

25And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

26And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:

27And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord:

28And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:

29And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the Lord.

30And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;

31Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the Lord.

32This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.

33And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

34When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

35And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:

36Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:empty: or, prepare

37And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;

38Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:

39And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;

40Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:

41And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:

42And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house.

43And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plastered;

44Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.

45And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

46Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.

47And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.

48And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plastered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.shall come…: Heb. in coming in shall come in, etc.

49And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

50And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:

51And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:

52And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:

53But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

54This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,

55And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,

56And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:

57To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.when it is unclean…: Heb. in the day of the unclean, and in the day of the clean

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The poetry section for the day is Psalm 38

Psalm 38

A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

1  O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2  For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

3  There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.rest: Heb. peace, or, health

4  For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

5  My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

6  I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.troubled: Heb. wried

7  For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8  I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

9  Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10  My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

11  My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

12  They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

13  But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

14  Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15  For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.in…: or, thee do I wait forhear: or, answer

16  For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.

17  For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.to halt: Heb. for halting

18  For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

19  But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

20  They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

21  Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

22  Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

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The New Testament reading today is chapter 10 of the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 10

1  And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

2  And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

3  And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4  And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

5  And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

6  But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

7  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8  And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10  And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11  And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12  And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

13  And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

16  And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

17  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

20  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

22  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

23  And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

24  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

25  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

26  And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

28  Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

29  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

30  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

31  But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

32  And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,

33  Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:

34  And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

35  And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

36  And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

37  They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

38  But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

40  But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

41  And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

42  But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

43  But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

44  And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

46  And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

47  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

48  And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

49  And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

51  And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

52  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.