Part 4

These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them: Go not into the way of the Gentiles or into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As ye go, preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick. Cleanse the lepers. Raise the dead. Cast out devils. Freely ye have received, freely give.

Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses. Take no scrip for your journey. Neither take two coats, nor shoes, nor staves because the workman is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or town ye enter, enquire who in it is worthy. Abide there until ye go on. When ye come into a house, salute it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. If it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever shall not receive you or hear your words, when ye leave that house or city, shake the dust from your feet. Verily, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Beware of men. They will deliver you up to the councils. They will scourge you in their synagogues. Ye shall be brought before governors and kings for a testimony against them and the Gentiles because of me. But when they deliver you up, do not worry how or what ye shall speak. It will be given you at the time ye speak because it is not ye that will speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks through you.

Also be aware that a brother shall deliver up a brother to death, and a father the child. Children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. Ye shall be hated by all for my name's sake. But those who endure to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one city, flee to another.

Truly, I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone to all the cities of Israel before the Son comes. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house, Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of God's household?

Fear them not. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and nothing hidden that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, speak it in light. And what ye hear in the ear, preach it from the housetops. Fear not those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing. The very hairs on your head are all numbered by Him. Fear not because ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whoever confesses me before all, I will confess him before my Father in heaven. Whoever denies me before all, I will deny him before my Father in heaven.

Do not think that I came to earth to bring peace. I came not to bring peace, but a sword. My coming will set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. One's foes shall be those of his own household.

Anyone who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me.

He who finds his life will lose it. He who loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever accepts you accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of the little ones in the name of a disciple, will never lose his reward.

11. When Jesus finished instructing His twelve disciples, He departed to teach and preach in their cities. When John, who was in prison, heard of the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. They asked Jesus, Art thou the one who is to come or do we look for another? Jesus answered, Go and show John what you hear and see. The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he who is not be offended by me.

As they departed, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. He said, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? What went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What went ye out to see? A prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger who shall prepare the way before thee.

Truly, I tell you, of all those born of woman, there is none greater than John the Baptist, who would make himself least in the kingdom of heaven. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and the violent took it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied of John. If ye will receive it, this is Elias, who was to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

But how shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows saying, We have piped to you and ye have not danced. We have mourned you and ye have not lamented. John came neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say he is a glutton, a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom will be justified by her children.

Then He began to upbraid the cities where most of His mighty works were done because they did not repent. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! If the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.

And Capernaum, praised to heaven, will be brought down to hell. If the mighty works that were done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

Then Jesus prayed aloud: I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. It is so, Father, for it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered to me by my Father. No man knows the Son but the Father. Neither knows any man the Father except the Son. He is revealed to whomever the Son will reveal Him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me. I am meek and lowly in heart. You will find rest for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

12. It was a sabbath day when Jesus and His disciples passed through a cornfield. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of corn to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to Jesus, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry? He and those who were with him entered into the house of God and ate the showbread. This was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him because the bread was only for the priests.

And, have ye not read in the law how, on the sabbath days, the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless? But, here is one greater than the temple. If you knew what this meant, you would not condemn the guiltless because the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.

When Jesus went into the synagogue He was met by a man who had a withered hand. So that they might accuse Jesus, the Pharisees asked Him, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? Jesus replied, What man is there among you who has one sheep and, if it falls into a pit on the sabbath day, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more is a man worth than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. Jesus turned to the man and said, Stretch out your hand. The man stretched his hand and it was restored, whole and like his other hand.

Then the Pharisees left and held a council about how they might destroy Jesus. But when Jesus knew this, He departed from there. Great multitudes followed Him and He healed them all. He charged them that they should not make Him known. This was done to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet: Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon Him and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench till He send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name the Gentiles shall trust.

Then a blind and mute man, who was possessed with a devil, was brought to Him. Jesus healed him, and, to such an extent, that he both spoke and saw. All the people were amazed and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This one casts out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. Every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, shall his kingdom stand?

If I, by Beelzebub, cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But, if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. And, if not, then how can someone enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods unless he first bind the strong man? Only then is he able to spoil his house.

The one who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather around me, scatters abroad. So, I say to you, all kinds of sin and blasphemy against men will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, will not be forgiven; not in this world and not in the world to come. Either make the tree good and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.