The Twelve Sent Out
10 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any Samaritan town." 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: "The kingdom of our Father has come near." a a v7 "Kingdom of our Father" replaces the more familiar "kingdom of heaven" that Matthew uses throughout his Gospel. Both phrases name the same reality — our Father's reign breaking into the world. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9 Do not take any gold or silver or copper in your belts 10 —no bag for the journey, no extra shirt, no sandals or staff, for the worker is worthy of his food. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, greet it. 13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard against people; they will hand you over to local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 Because of me you will be brought before governors and kings as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 The student is not above the teacher, nor the servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like the teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26 So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. b b v28 Gehenna: a smoldering rubbish valley outside Jerusalem that Jesus used as a picture of final destruction.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 Therefore, whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. 37 Anyone who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose his reward.