Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1, Matthew 10:5-42

³⁵And Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, ^ateaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

³⁶^aAnd seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, ^bbecause they were ¹distressed and ²downcast like sheep ³without a shepherd. ³⁷Then He *said to His disciples, “^aThe harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸“Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

10^aAnd summoning His twelve disciples, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to ^bheal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

The Twelve Disciples Sent Out

⁵^aThese twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not ¹go ²in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the ^bSamaritans; ⁶but rather go to ^athe lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷“And as you go, ¹preach, saying, ‘^aThe kingdom of heaven ²is at hand.’ ⁸“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. ⁹“^aDo not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, ¹⁰or a ¹bag for your journey, or even two ²tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for ^athe worker is worthy of his ³support. ¹¹“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave. ¹²“Now as you enter the ¹house, ^agive it your ²greeting. ¹³“And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴“And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, ^ashake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵“Truly I say to you, ^ait will be more tolerable for the land of ^bSodom and Gomorrah in ^cthe day of judgment than for that city.

The Promise of Persecution

¹⁶“^aBehold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so ¹be ^bshrewd as serpents and ^cinnocent as doves. ¹⁷“But beware of men, for they will deliver you over to the ^acourts and flog you ^bin their synagogues; ¹⁸and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹“^aBut when they deliver you over, ^bdo not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰“For ^ait is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹“^aAnd brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and ^bchildren will rise up against parents and ¹cause them to be put to death. ²²“^aAnd you will be hated by all because of My name, but ^bit is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

²³“But whenever they ^apersecute you in this city, flee to ¹the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel ^buntil the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

²⁴“^aA ¹disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵“It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. ^aIf they have called the head of the house ¹^,^bBeelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

²⁶“Therefore do not ^afear them, ^bfor there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. ²⁷“^aWhat I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim ^bupon the housetops. ²⁸“And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather ^afear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ¹^,^bhell. ²⁹“^aAre not two sparrows sold for an ¹assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰“But ^athe very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹“So do not fear; ^ayou are more valuable than many sparrows.

³²“Therefore ^aeveryone who ¹confesses Me before men, I will also confess ²him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³“But ^awhoever ¹denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴“^aDo not think that I came to ¹bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵“For I came to ^aset a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶and ^aa man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷“^aHe who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸“And ^ahe who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹“^aHe who has found his ¹life will lose it, and he who has lost his ²life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

⁴⁰“^aHe who receives you receives Me, and ^bhe who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹“^aHe who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴²“And ^awhoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these ¹little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”