Lu-ca 9

The Twelve sent out with power

¹Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over every demon, and to cure diseases. ²He sent them out to announce the kingdom of God and to heal those who were ill. ³He told them, “Carry nothing with you for the road: no walking stick, no traveler’s bag, no bread, no money. And none of you is to have two tunics. ⁴Whatever house you go into, stay there, and leave the town from there. ⁵If any do not welcome you, then as you leave that town, shake its dust off your feet. That will be evidence against them.” ⁶So they set out and went from village to village, bringing the good news and healing people everywhere.

Herod hears about Jesus

⁷Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was taking place, and he did not know what to make of it. Some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead; ⁸some, that Elijah had appeared; and others, that one of the prophets from long ago had risen again. ⁹But Herod said, “I cut off John’s head myself. Who, then, is this man I keep hearing such things about?” And he kept trying to see him.

Bread for five thousand

¹⁰The apostles came back and gave him an account of everything they had done. He took them with him and slipped away privately to a town called Bethsaida.^{a 11}But the crowds found out and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed to be healed.

¹²As the day was ending, the Twelve came to him. “Dismiss the crowd,” they said. “Then they can go to the villages and farms around here and find somewhere to stay and something to eat. This is a lonely place.” ¹³But he said to them, “Give them something to eat yourselves.” They answered, “We have nothing but five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go and buy food ourselves for this whole crowd.” ¹⁴There were about five thousand men there. He told his disciples, “Get them to sit down in groups of fifty or so.” ¹⁵They did this, and everyone sat down. ¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. He broke them and kept handing them to the disciples to serve to the crowd. ¹⁷Everyone ate and had plenty. Then what they had left was gathered up: twelve baskets full of broken pieces.

Peter says who Jesus is

¹⁸One time Jesus was praying in a quiet place, and only the disciples were with him. He asked them, “Who do the people in the crowds say I am?” ¹⁹They replied, “John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Others say that one of the prophets of long ago has risen again.” ²⁰Then he asked them, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are God’s Christ.”

²¹He gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. ²²“The Son of Man has to suffer a great deal,” he said. “The elders, the chief priests and the scribes will reject him. He will be put to death, and on the third day he will be raised.”

Taking up the cross every day

²³Then he said to everyone, “Anyone who wants to come after me must say no to themselves, pick up their cross every day, and keep following me.^{b 24}Anyone who sets out to save their own life will lose it. But anyone who loses their life because of me will save it. ²⁵Suppose someone wins the whole world but is ruined and loses themselves. What has that person gained? ²⁶If anyone is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his own glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷I tell you truly: among those standing here are some who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”^c

Jesus is changed on the mountain

²⁸Some eight days after these words, Jesus went up the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John and James along. ²⁹While he prayed, the look of his face was changed, and his clothes turned white and flashed like lightning. ³⁰Suddenly two men were talking with him: Moses and Elijah. ³¹They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, the exodus he was about to complete in Jerusalem.^{d 32}Peter and the others with him had been overcome by sleep. But when they were wide awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood beside him.^{e 33}When the two men were about to part from him, Peter spoke up: “Master, it is good that we are here. We should set up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” Peter did not really know what he was saying. ³⁴While Peter was still speaking, a cloud came and cast its shadow over them, and they were frightened as they went into the cloud. ³⁵Then a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.”^{f 36}When the voice had finished, Jesus was there alone. The disciples kept quiet. At that time they said nothing to anyone about the things they had seen.

A father’s only son is set free

³⁷On the following day, after they had come down the mountain, a big crowd was there to meet him. ³⁸A man in the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you, look at my son! He is my only child. ³⁹A spirit grabs him, and suddenly he shrieks. It shakes him violently until he foams at the mouth, and it will hardly let him go; it leaves him battered. ⁴⁰I pleaded with your disciples to drive it out, but they did not have the power.” ⁴¹Jesus replied, “Oh, this generation, with no faith and so twisted! How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴²The boy was still on his way when the demon dashed him to the ground and shook him violently. But Jesus gave the unclean spirit a stern command. He healed the boy and returned him to his father. ⁴³All the people were astounded at the majesty of God.

Jesus speaks again of being handed over

People were still wondering at everything he was doing when he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴“Let these words sink deep into your ears: the Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of human beings.” ⁴⁵They did not know what he meant by this. It had been veiled from them so that they would not see what it meant. And they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.^g

Who is the greatest

⁴⁶A dispute came up among them: which of them was the greatest? ⁴⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking in their hearts. He took a child and had the child stand beside him. ⁴⁸Then he said to them, “Anyone who receives this child in my name is receiving me. And anyone who receives me is receiving the one who sent me. For whoever is least among all of you, that is the one who is great.”^h

Not against you, but for you

⁴⁹John responded, “Master, we saw a man driving out demons by using your name, and we kept telling him to stop, because he is not a follower along with us.” ⁵⁰Jesus told him, “Do not try to stop him. Anyone who is not against you is on your side.”ⁱ

A Samaritan village turns Jesus away

⁵¹As the time drew near for him to be taken up, he turned his face toward Jerusalem, determined to go there. ⁵²He sent messengers on ahead of him. On their way they went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for him. ⁵³But the people there refused to welcome him, since his face was turned toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, “Lord, is it your wish that we command fire to come down from heaven and burn them up?”^{j 55}But Jesus turned and gave them a stern rebuke.^{k 56}And they went on to a different village.^l

Would-be followers on the road

⁵⁷While they were going along the road, someone told him, “Wherever you go, I will follow you.” ⁵⁸Jesus said to him, “Foxes have their holes, and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay down his head.” ⁵⁹To another man he said, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, allow me to go first and bury my father.”^{m 60}Jesus told him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. As for you, go and spread the news of the kingdom of God everywhere.”^{n 61}Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but allow me first to take leave of the people at my home.” ⁶²Jesus answered, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and keeps looking back is suited for the kingdom of God.”