18. Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.
19. And you know his commands: ‘You must not murder anyone, you must not commit adultery, you must not steal, you must not lie, you must not cheat, you must respect your father and mother ….’”
20. The man said, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”
21. Jesus looked at the man in a way that showed how much he cared for him. He said, “There is still one thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22. The man was upset when Jesus told him to give away his money. He didn’t want to do this, because he was very rich. So he went away sad.
23. Then Jesus looked at his followers and said to them, “It will be very hard for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom!”
24. The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But he said again, “My children, it is very hard to enter God’s kingdom!
25. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom!”
26. The followers were even more amazed and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
27. Jesus looked at them and said, “That is something people cannot do, but God can. He can do anything.”
28. Peter said to Jesus, “We left everything to follow you!”
29. Jesus said, “I can promise that everyone who has left their home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or farm for me and for the Good News about me
30. will get a hundred times more than they left. Here in this world they will get more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and farms. And with these things they will have persecutions. But in the world that is coming they will also get the reward of eternal life.
31. Many people who have the highest place now will have the lowest place in the future. And the people who have the lowest place now will have the highest place then.”