Hi, friends. I am Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and these are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

We're going to read three chapters every day and finish in 30 days, so each month we'll read all four books of the Gospels.

So go ahead and subscribe today and join us as we read the Gospels together. We are working our way through the Book of Matthew, so today I'm going to read three chapters to you.

You can listen or read along in your own Bible, and then I'll pray, and that's it.

So today is January 22nd, day 22, and I'll be reading Matthew chapters 19 through 21, and the translation I'm reading from this month is NIV 84.

Matthew chapter 19, divorce. When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.

Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to him to test him.

They asked, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?

Haven't you read, he replied, that at the beginning the creator made them male and female and said, for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.

Why then, they asked, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?

Jesus replied, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.

But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife except for marital unfaithfulness, and Mary's another woman commits adultery.

The disciples said to him, if this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.

Jesus replied, not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.

For some are unix because they were born that way. Others were made that way by men, and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven.

The one who can accept this should accept it. The little children and Jesus.

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.

But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. The rich young man.

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?

Why do you ask me about what is good? Jesus replied, there is only one who is good.

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