Daily Learning

¹He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over impure spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. ²Now the names of the twelve shlichim are these. The first, Shimon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; Yaakov the son of Zavdai; Yochanan, his brother; ³Philip; Bar-Talmai; Toma; Mattityahu the tax collector; Yaakov the son of Chalfai; Labbai, who was also called Taddai; ⁴Shimon the Zealot; and Yehudah Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

⁵Yeshua sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter any city of the Samaritans. ⁶Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷As you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ ⁸Heal the sick, purify the metzoraim, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. ⁹Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. ¹⁰Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. ¹¹Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. ¹²As you enter the household, greet it. ¹³If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

¹⁶“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. ¹⁸Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. ²⁰For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. ²²You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the human has come.

²⁴“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the head of the household Baal-Zevul, how much more those of his household! ²⁶Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. ²⁷What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

²⁹“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will, ³⁰but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. ³²Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. ³³But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

³⁴“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶A man’s foes will be those of his own household. ³⁷He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁸He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. ³⁹He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹He 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. ⁴²Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.”