Luke 18:11-24

¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed these things about himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

¹²I fast two times every week. I give tithes of all that I get.'

¹³But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but hit his breast, saying, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

¹⁴I say to you, this man went back down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹⁵The people were also bringing to him their infants so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

¹⁶But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Permit the little children to come to me, and do not forbid them. For the kingdom of God belongs to such ones.

¹⁷Truly I say to you, whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will definitely not enter it.”

¹⁸A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁹Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except God alone.

²⁰You know the commandments—do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not testify falsely, honor your father and mother.”

²¹The ruler said, “All these things I have obeyed from the time I was a youth.”

²²When Jesus heard that, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. You must sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.”

²³But when the ruler heard these things, he became extremely sad, for he was very rich.

²⁴Then Jesus, seeing him, became very sad and said, “How difficult it is for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!