“Be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with partying, drunkenness, and the worries of life. Then the day when the Son of Man returns will close on you suddenly like a trap.
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear the message, but then, as they go on their way, are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, so they don’t reach full growth.
In fact, I consider everything to be worthless compared with knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Knowing him is worth much more than anything else. Because of him I’ve lost everything, but I look at it all as garbage so that I can know Christ better.
You can be sure that no one who’s immoral, impure, or greedy will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God, because they’re really serving a false god.
But at dinner, Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to the poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount I took.”
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You are still missing one thing. Sell everything you have, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”