Luke 9:46–62

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.”