See Verse / Commentary

Matthew

Jesus called in his twelve disciples and gave them authority over evil spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of sickness and disease. Now the names of the twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Do not go to the Gentiles, and do not enter any Samaritan town, but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Wherever you go, preach the Gospel, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, so freely give. Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your money belts, no bag for your journey, nor even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for a worker is worthy of his support. Whatever town or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay at his house until you leave that town. As you enter a house, give it your blessing. If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace, but if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever will not receive you or pay attention to your words, when you leave that house or that town, shake the dust off your feet. I am telling you the truth: it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town. “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents, and as innocent as doves. Beware of people who will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues. You will even be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you should speak, because it will be given to you in that hour what you should say. For it is not you who will speak, but the spirit of your Father will speak in you. “Brother will deliver up a brother to death, and a father his child. And children will rise up against parents and condemn them to death. You will be hated by all people because of me, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. I am telling you the truth: you will not have finished going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student that he becomes like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! “So do not fear them, because there is nothing covered which will not be revealed, and nothing hidden which will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ear, shout from the rooftops. Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in the Gehenna fire of destruction. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? But not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. “Therefore everyone who confesses me before people, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. “He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives Him who commissioned me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives one of these humble ones even a cup of cold water to drink, I am telling you the truth: he will not lose his reward.”

Matthew