The Sending of the Twelve
Matthew 10Jesus called his twelve disciples to himself and gave them the authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles are these: First, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve and commanded them, saying, “Y’all are not to go among the ethnic groups or enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, y’all must go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As y’all are going, preach this message, ‘The Empire of Heaven has come near!’ Y’all heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely y’all have received, so freely y’all should give. Y’all are not to take any gold, silver, or brass in y’all’s belts, nor a bag for your journey, or additional coats, sandals, or staff. For the laborer is worthy of their provisions. Whatever city or village y’all enter, find someone who is worthy and stay there until y’all go on. As y’all enter the house, give it your* greeting. If the household is worthy, let y’all’s peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, take back your* peace. Whoever doesn’t receive y’all or hear your* words, shake the dust off your* feet as y’all leave that house or city. Truly I tell y’all, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Persecution of Disciples
“Look, I am sending y’all out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, y’all must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. But y’all beware of humans, for they will deliver y’all up to councils and flog y’all in their synagogues. And y’all will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the ethnic groups. But when they arrest y’all, don’t be anxious about what y’all will say. For at that time, y’all will be given what to say. For it is not y’all who speak, but the Spirit of y’all’s Father who speaks through y’all.
“Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. Y’all will be hated by everyone for my name’s sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute y’all in this city, flee into the next, for truly I tell y’all, y’all will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Humanity comes.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple to be like their teacher, and the servant like their master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! Therefore y’all don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell y’all in the darkness, speak in the light; and what y’all hear whispered in the ear, proclaim from the rooftop. Don’t y’all be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, y’all should fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
“Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from the will of y’all’s Father. But the very hairs of y’all’s head are all numbered. Therefore y’all, don’t be afraid. Y’all are more valuable than many sparrows. Everyone who confesses me before humans, I will also confess them before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before humans, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
“Y’all shouldn’t think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a human at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A human’s foes will be those of his own household.+Mic 7:6 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. Whoever doesn’t take up their cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
“Anyone receives y’all receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I tell y’all, that person will never lose their reward.”