Luke 9–19

COMMISSIONING THE TWELVE

9Summoning the Twelve,^w he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.^{x 2}Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.^y

³“Take nothing for the road,”^z he told them, “no staff,^aa no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. ⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. ⁵If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”^{ab 6}So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

HEROD’S DESIRE TO SEE JESUS

⁷Herod the tetrarch^ac heard about everything that was going on.^ad He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸some that Elijah had appeared,^ae and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.^{af 9}“I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see him.^ag

FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND

¹⁰When the apostles returned,^ah they reported to Jesus all that they had done.^ai He took them along and withdrew privately to a^C town called Bethsaida.^{aj 11}When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them,^ak spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

¹²Late in the day,^al the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away,^am so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³“You give them something to eat,” he told them.

“We have no more than five loaves^an and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴(For about five thousand men were there.)

Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down^D in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵They did what he said, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,^ao he blessed and broke them.^ap He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

PETER’S CONFESSION OF THE MESSIAH

¹⁸While he was praying in private^aq and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

¹⁹They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”^Aa

²⁰“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”^b

HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION PREDICTED

²¹But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one,^{c 22}saying,^d “It is necessary that the Son of Man^e suffer many things^f and be rejected^g by the elders, chief priests, and scribes,^h be killed, and be raised the third day.”ⁱ

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

²³Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after^B me, let him deny himself,^j take up his cross daily,^C and follow me.^{k 24}For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.^{l 25}For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?^{m 26}For whoever is ashamed of me and my words,ⁿ the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory^o and that of the Father and the holy angels.^{p 27}Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death^q until they see the kingdom of God.”^r

THE TRANSFIGURATION

²⁸About eight days after this conversation,^s he took along Peter, John, and James^t and went up on the mountain to pray.^{u 29}As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,^v and his clothes became dazzling white.^{w 30}Suddenly, two men were talking with him—Moses and Elijah. ³¹They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

³²Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep,^Dx and when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him. ³³As the two men were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master,^y it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.^z

³⁴While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed^aa them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵Then a voice came from the cloud,^ab saying, “This is my Son,^ac the Chosen One;^Ead listen to him!”^ae

³⁶After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent, and at that time told no one what they had seen.

THE POWER OF JESUS OVER A DEMON

³⁷The next day,^af when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child.^{ag 39}A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him. ⁴⁰I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”^ah

⁴¹Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation,^ai how long will I be with you and put up with you?^aj Bring your son here.”

⁴²As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy,^ak and gave him back to his father.^{al 43}And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.^am

THE SECOND PREDICTION OF HIS DEATH

While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing,^an he told his disciples, ⁴⁴“Let these words sink in:^B The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”^ao

⁴⁵But they did not understand this statement;^ap it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it,^aq and they were afraid to ask him about it.

WHO IS THE GREATEST?

⁴⁶An argument started among them about who was the greatest of them.^{ar 47}But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts,^Cas took a little child and had him stand next to him. ⁴⁸He told them, “Whoever welcomes^D this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.^at For whoever is least among you—this one is great.”^au

IN HIS NAME

⁴⁹John responded,^a “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,^b and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.”^c

⁵⁰“Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”^Ed

THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM

⁵¹When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up,^e he determined^f to journey to Jerusalem.^{g 52}He sent messengers ahead of himself,^h and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritansⁱ to make preparations for him. ⁵³But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem.^{j 54}When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”^Gk

⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶and they went to another village.

FOLLOWING JESUS

⁵⁷As they were traveling on the road someone said to him,^l “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ⁵⁹Then he said to another, “Follow me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”

⁶⁰But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”^m

⁶¹Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”ⁿ

⁶²But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

SENDING OUT THE SEVENTY-TWO

10After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two^A others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. ²He told them,^o “The harvest^p is abundant, but the workers^q are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.^{r 3}Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.^{s 4}Don’t carry a money-bag,^t traveling bag,^u or sandals;^v don’t greet anyone along the road. ⁵Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace^w to this household.’ ⁶If a person of peace is there, your peace^x will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages.^y Don’t move from house to house. ⁸When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you.^{z 9}Heal the sick^aa who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God^ab has come near^ac you.’ ¹⁰When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹‘We are wiping off even the dust of your town that clings to our feet as a witness against you.^ad Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹²I tell you, on that day^ae it will be more tolerable for Sodom^af than for that town.^ag

UNREPENTANT TOWNS

¹³“Woe^ah to you,^ai Chorazin!^aj Woe to you, Bethsaida!^ak For if the miracles^al that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,^am they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.^{an 14}But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment^ao than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum,^ap will you be exalted to heaven?^aq No, you will go down to Hades.^{ar 16}Whoever listens to you listens to me.^as Whoever rejects you rejects me.^at And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”^au

THE RETURN OF THE SEVENTY-TWO

¹⁷The seventy-two^Bav returned with joy, saying,^aw “Lord, even the demons^ax submit to us in your name.”^ay

¹⁸He said to them, “I watched Satan^az fall from heaven like lightning.^{ba 19}Look, I have given you the authority^bb to trample^bc on snakes^bd and scorpions^be and over all the power of the enemy;^bf nothing at all will harm you.^{bg 20}However, don’t rejoice that^C the spirits^bh submit to you,^bi but rejoice that your names are written^bj in heaven.”

THE SON REVEALS THE FATHER

²¹At that time^a he^D rejoiced in the Holy^E Spirit^b and said, “I praise^F you, Father,^c Lord of heaven and earth,^d because you have hidden these things…