The Ministry of the Twelve
1 Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money. Do not take two coats each. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there. 5 As many as do not receive you, when you depart from that city, shake the dust off from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6 They departed and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News and healing everywhere.
Herod Desires to See Jesus
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of everything that was being done by Jesus, and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I am hearing such things?” And he wanted to see him.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
10 When the apostles had returned, they told Jesus the things they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds learned of it they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.
12 It was beginning to get late, and the twelve disciples came and said to him, “Send the crowds away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms and get food and a place to stay for the night, for we are here in a deserted place.”
13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For they were about 5,000 men.
He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about 50 each.” 15 They did so, and had all of them sit down.
16 He took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to the heavens, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 17 They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
18 As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 They answered, “ ‘John the Baptist,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 But he warned them and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”
Take Up Your Cross
23 He said to all, “If anyone desires to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his own soul?
26 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see the Kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after all this was said, Jesus took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling. 30 Two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him. 33 As they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he was saying.
34 While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.
35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” 36 When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit
37 The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 A man from the crowd called out and said, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.”
41 Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
42 While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this statement. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child and set him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you, this one will be great.”
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him because he doesn’t follow with us.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”
Samaritans Reject Jesus
51 It came to pass, when the days were near that Jesus should be taken up, he set out with an intense focus on going to Jerusalem 52 and sent messengers ahead of him. They went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him. 53 They did not receive him, because he was traveling with his focus set on Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But he turned and rebuked them, “You do not understand the kind of spirit you belong to. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy the lives of men, but to save them.”
They went to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”
58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another, “Follow me!”
But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say goodbye to those who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”