21. Jesus looked straight at the man and loved him. Jesus said, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22. He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left. The man was sad because he was very rich.
23. Then Jesus looked at his followers and said, “How hard it will be for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24. The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But he said again, “My children, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God!
25. And it will be very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!”
26. The followers were even more amazed and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
27. Jesus looked straight at them and said, “For people this is impossible. But for God all things are possible.”
28. Peter said to Jesus, “We left everything to follow you!”
29. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Everyone who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields for me and for the Good News
30. will get a hundred times more than he left. Here in this world he will have more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields. And with those things, he will also suffer for his belief. But in the age that is coming he will have life forever.
31. Many who are first now will be last in the future. And those who are last now will be first in the future.”
32. Jesus and the people with him were on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus was leading the way. The followers were amazed, but those who followed behind them were afraid. Jesus took the 12 apostles aside and talked with them alone. He told them what would happen in Jerusalem.
33. He said, “We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be given to the leading priests and teachers of the law. They will say that he must die. They will give him to the non-Jewish people,
34. who will laugh at him and spit on him. They will beat him with whips and kill him. But on the third day after his death, he will rise to life again.”
35. Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus. They said, “Teacher, we want to ask you to do something for us.”
36. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”