Matthew 9:35–10:42

The Lord of the Harvest

35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their * synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, q and healing every r disease and every sickness. s 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, t like sheep without a shepherd. u 37 Then He said to His disciples, v “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Commissioning the Twelve

10 Summoning His 12 disciples, w He gave them authority over * unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every x disease and sickness. y 2 These are the names of the 12 apostles: z

First, Simon, who is called Peter,

and Andrew his brother;

James the son of Zebedee,

and John his brother;

3 Philip and Bartholomew; a

Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;

James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; b

4 Simon the Zealot, c and Judas Iscariot, d

who also betrayed Him. e

5 Jesus sent out these 12 after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any * Samaritan f town. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep g of the house of Israel. h 7 As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ i 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons. j You have received free of charge; give free of charge. 9 Don’t take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. k 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker l is worthy of his food.

11 “When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it, m 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. n 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet o when you leave that house or town. 15 * I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment p for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. q

Persecutions Predicted

16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves. r 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins s and flog you in their * synagogues, t beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. u 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. v For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit w of your Father is speaking through you. x

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death. y 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name. z But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. a b 23 When they persecute you in one town, escape to another. c For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the * Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple d is not above his teacher, or a * slave above his master. e 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘* Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household! f

Fear God

26 “Therefore, g don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. h 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, i proclaim on the housetops. j 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; k rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in * hell. l 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? m Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s n consent. o 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. p 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows. q

Acknowledging Christ

32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. r 33 But whoever denies Me before men, s I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. t 35 For I came to turn

a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

36 and a man’s enemies will be

the members of his household. u v

37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; w the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow x Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding y his life will lose it, z and anyone losing a his life because of Me will find it. b

A Cup of Cold Water

40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me, c and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me. d 41 Anyone who e welcomes a prophet f because he is a prophet g will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who h welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous i will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives j just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple k l—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”