CHAPTER 7 THE DISCIPLESHIP

Jesus chooses the Twelve
Old and new treasures
Recruit more workers
Authority to the Twelve disciples
Jesus sends out the disciples
Witness to the world
Fear only God
Acknowledgement or denial
Not peace but a sword
Welcome
Coming and going
You are the Messiah, the Christ
Jesus speaks about Jerusalem, his death and rising to life again
Turned away from a Samaritan village
Jesus demands obedience
Jesus sends out seventy other disciples
Rejection brings judgment
The seventy disciples return
The benefits of discipleship
The Father makes appointments in Heaven
Leadership through service
Service to others, the path of blessing
Welcome Jesus’ friends
A new commandment – love each other
Beware of hypocrisy
Fear God
Acknowledgement or denial
Don’t worry
Don’t be afraid
Be prepared for your Lord’s return
Trustworthy or untrustworthy servants
Strife and division
Look at the time
The return of the seventy
Jesus says, come to me
The cost of being a disciple
Temptations to disobey God
More faith
Some Greeks seek Jesus
Jesus’ mother and brothers
Jesus appears to his disciples and directs them

Jesus chooses the Twelve
Matthew 5:1
One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the hillside.

Mark 3:13-15
Afterwards he went up into the hills and summoned certain ones he chose inviting them to come and join him there; and they did. Then he selected twelve of them to be his regular companions and to go to preach and to cast out demons.
Luke 6:12-13
One day soon afterwards he went out into the mountains to pray, and prayed all night. At daybreak he called together his followers and chose twelve of them to be the inner circle of his disciples. (They were appointed as his “apostles,” or “missionaries.”)
Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16
Here are the names of his twelve disciples:
Simon (also called Peter)
Andrew (Peter’s brother)
James (Zebedee’s son)
John (Zebedees’s son, James’s brother)
(Jesus called Zebedees’s sons “Sons of Thunder”)
Philip
Bartholomew
Thomas
Matthew (the tax collector)
James (Alphaeus’ son)
Thaddaeus
Simon (a member of the “Zealots”, a subversive political party advocating violent overthrow of the Roman government)
Judas Iscariot (the one who betrayed Jesus)

Old and new treasures
Matthew 13:51-54
Jesus said, “Do you understand?” “Yes,” they said,” “we do.”
Then Jesus added, “Those experts in Jewish law who are now my disciples have double treasures – from the Old Testament as well as from the New.” When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he returned to his home town, Nazareth in Galilee.
Mark 6:6
Then Jesus went out among the villages teaching.

Recruit more workers
Matthew 9:35-37
Jesus traveled around through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the Jewish synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went he healed people of every sort of illness. And what pity he felt for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.
“The harvest is so great, and the workers are so few,” he told his disciples. “So pray to the one in charge of the harvesting, and ask him to recruit more workers for his harvest fields.”

Authority to the Twelve disciples
Matthew 10:1
Jesus called his Twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of sickness and disease.

Jesus sends out the disciples
Mark 6:7-11
Jesus called his twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two, with power to cast out demons. He told them to take nothing with them except their walking sticks – no food, no bag, and no money, not even an extra pair of shoes or a change of clothes.
“Stay at one home in each village – don’t move around from house to house while you are there,” he said. And whenever a village won’t accept you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave; it is a sign that you have abandoned it to its fate.”
Luke 9:1-5
One day Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them authority over all demons – power to cast them out – and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them away to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
“Don’t even take along a walking stick,” he instructed them, “nor a beggar’s bag, nor food, nor money. Not even an extra coat. Be a guest in only one home at each village.”
“If the people of a town won’t listen to you when you enter it, turn around and leave, demonstrating God’s anger against it by shaking its dust from your feet as you go.”
Matthew 10:5-15
Jesus sent them out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”
“Don’t take any money with you; don’t even carry a duffle bag with extra clothes and shoes, or even a walking stick; for those you help should feed and care for you. Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a godly man and stay in his home until you leave for the next town. When you ask permission to stay, be friendly, and if it turns out to be a godly home, give it your blessing; if not, keep the blessing. Any city or home that doesn’t welcome you – shake off the dust of that place from your feet as you leave. Truly, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off at Judgment Day than they.”

Witness to the world
Matthew 10:16-27
“I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary (cautious about dangers or problems) as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware! (Be cautious and alert to risks or dangers!) For you will be arrested and tried, and whipped in the synagogues. Yes, and you must stand trial before governors and kings for my sake (honor and interest). This will give you the opportunity to tell them about me – yes, to witness to the world.”
“When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say at your trial, for you will be given the right words at the right time. For it won’t be you doing the talking – it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you!”
“Brother shall betray brother to death, and fathers shall betray their own children. And children shall rise against their parents and cause their deaths. Everyone shall hate you because you belong to me. But all of you who endure to the end will be saved.”
“When you are persecuted in one city, flee to the next! I will return before you have reached them all! A student is not greater than his teacher. A servant is not above his master. The student shares his teacher’s fate. The servant shares his master’s. And since I, the master of the household, have been called ‘Satan’, how much more will you! But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when the truth will be revealed: their secret plots will become public information.”
What I tell you now in the gloom, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ears, proclaim from the housetops!”

Fear only God
Matthew 10:28-31
“Don’t be afraid of those who can kill only your bodies – but can’t touch your souls! Fear only God who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Not one sparrow – what do they cost – two for a penny? – can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t worry! You are more valuable to him than many sparrows.”

Acknowledgement or denial
Matthew 10:32-33
“If anyone publicly acknowledges me as his friend, I will openly acknowledge him as my friend before my Father in heaven. But if anyone publicly denies me, I will openly deny him before my Father in heaven.”

Not peace but a sword
Matthew 10:34-39
“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, rather, a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s worst enemies will be right in his own home! If you love your father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.”
“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will save it.”

Welcome
Matthew 10:40-42
“Those who welcome you are welcoming me. And when they welcome me they are welcoming God who sent me. If you welcome a prophet because he is a man of God, you will be given the same reward a prophet gets. And if you welcome good and godly men because of their godliness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if, as my representatives, you give even a cup of cold water to a little child, you will surely be rewarded.”

Coming and going
Mark 6:12-13
So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to turn from sin (that is thoughts, speech and actions against the Laws of God and to obey God instead). And they cast out many demons, and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
Luke 9:6
So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
John 6:65-71
Jesus remarked, “That is what I meant when I said that no one can come to me unless the Father attracts him to me.”
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.
Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going too?”
Simon Peter replied, “Master, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life, and we believe them and know you are the holy son of God.”
Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, and one is a devil.” (He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would betray him.)
John 7:1
After this Jesus went to Galilee, going from village to village, for he wanted to stay out of Judea where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.

You are the Messiah, the Christ
Matthew 16:13-20
When Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who are the people saying I am?”
“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; some, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
Then he asked them, “Who do you think I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “The Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
“God has blessed you, Simon, son of Jonah,” Jesus said, “for my Father in heaven had personally revealed this to you – this is not from any human source. You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church; and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever doors you lock on earth shall be locked in heaven; and whatever doors you open on earth shall be open in heaven!
Then he warned the disciples against telling others that he was the Messiah.
Mark 8:27-30
Jesus and his disciples now left Galilee and went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along he asked them, “Who do the people think I am? What are they saying about me?”
“Some of them think you are John the Baptist,” the disciples replied, “and others say you are Elijah or some other ancient prophet come back to life again.”
Then he asked, “Who do you think I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.” But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone.
Luke 9:18-21
One day as he was alone, praying, with his disciples nearby, he came over and asked them, “Who are the people saying I am?”
“John the Baptist,” they told him, “or perhaps Elijah or one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
Then he asked them, “Who do you think I am?”
Peter replied, “The Messiah – the Christ of God!”
He gave them strict orders not to speak of this to anyone.

Jesus speaks about Jerusalem, his death and rising to life again
Matthew 16:21-28
From then on Jesus began to speak plainly to his disciples about going to Jerusalem, and what would happen to him there – that he would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders, that he would be killed, and that three days later he would be raised to life again.
But Peter took him aside to remonstrate (argue and dispute) with him. “Heaven forbid, sir,” he said, “This is not going to happen to you!”
Jesus turned on Peter and said, “Get away from me, you Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are thinking merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s (point of view).”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again. What profit (advantage and benefit) is there if you gain the whole world – and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life? For I, the Son of Mankind, shall come with my angels in the glory of my Father and judge each person according to his deeds, (his actions). And some of you standing here at this moment will certainly live to see me coming in my Kingdom.”
Mark 8:31-38
Then he began to tell them about the terrible things he would suffer, and that he would be rejected by the elders and the Chief Priests and the other Jewish leaders – and be killed, and that he would rise again three days afterwards. He talked about it quite frankly with them, so Peter took him aside and chided him (scolded and rebuked him). “You shouldn’t say things like that,” he told Jesus.
Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, “Satan, get behind me! You are looking at this only from a human point of view and not from God’s (point of view).”
Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen.
“If any of you wants to be my follower,” he told them, “you must put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross (your load of hardship), and follow me closely. If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake (honor and interests) and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means really to live.”
“And how does a man benefit if he gains the whole world and loses himself in the process? For is anything worth more than himself? Anyone who is ashamed of me and my message in these days of unbelief and sin (with thoughts, speech and actions against the Laws of God), I, the Man of Glory, will be ashamed of him when I return in the glory of my Father, with the holy angels.”
Mark 9:1
Jesus went on to say to his disciples, “Some of you who are standing here now will live to see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”
Luke 9:22-27
“For I must suffer much,” Jesus said, “and be rejected by the Jewish leaders – the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the Law – and be killed; and three days later I will come back to life again!”
Then he said to all, “Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross (his load of hardship) with him every day and keep close to me! Whoever loses his life for my sake (honor and interests) will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it. And what profit (advantage and benefit) is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting (suffering the loss of) one’s self (one’s essential being)?”
“When I, the Man of Glory, come in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels, I will be ashamed then of all who are ashamed of me and my words now. But this is the simple truth – some of you who are standing here right now will not die until you have seen the Kingdom of God!”

Turned away from a Samaritan village
Luke 9:52-56
One day he sent messengers ahead to reserve rooms for them in a Samaritan village. But they were turned away. The people of the village refused to have anything to do with them because they were headed for Jerusalem.
When the word came back of what had happened, James and John said to Jesus, “Master, shall we order fire down from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

Jesus demands obedience
Matthew 8:19-22
Just then one of the Jewish religious leaders said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go!”
But Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but I the Son of Mankind, have no home of my own – no place to lay my head,”
Another of his followers said, “Sir, let me first go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Follow me now! Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead.”
Luke 9:57-62
As they were walking along someone said to Jesus, “I will always follow you no matter where you go.”
But Jesus replied, “Remember, I don’t even own a place to lay my head. Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Man from Heaven, have no earthly home at all.”
Another time, when he invited a man to come with him to be his disciple, the man agreed – but wanted to wait until his father’s death.
Jesus replied, “Let those without eternal life concern themselves with things like that. Your duty (your obligation) is to come and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God to the entire world.”
Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will come, but first let me ask permission of those at home.”
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit (not ready) for the Kingdom of God,”
John 8:31-32
Jesus said to them, “You are truly (in actual fact) my disciples if you live as I tell you to, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:47
“Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly (with delight) to the words of God.”
John 8:51
“With all the earnestness I have I tell you this – no one who obeys me shall ever die!”
Luke 11:23
“Anyone who is not for me is against me; if he isn’t helping me, he is hurting (and harming) my cause.”

Jesus sends out seventy other disciples
Luke 10:1-2
The Lord now chose seventy other disciples and sent them on ahead in pairs to all the towns and villages he planned to visit later.
These were his instructions to them: “Plead with (and appeal to) the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers to help you, for the harvest is so plentiful (and abundant) and the workers so few.”
Luke 10:3-12
Jesus said, “Go now, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, or a beggar’s bag, or even an extra pair of shoes. And don’t waste time along the way.”
“Whenever you enter a home, give it your blessing. If it is worthy of the blessing, the blessing will stand; if not, the blessing will return to you.”
“When you enter a village, don’t shift around from home to home, but stay in one place, eating and drinking without question whatever is set before you. And don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, for the workman is worthy of his wages.”
“If a town welcomes you, follow these two rules. (1) Eat whatever is set before you. (2) Heal the sick; and, as you heal them, say, ‘The Kingdom of God is very near you now.’”
“But if a town refuses you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe the dust of your town from our feet as a public announcement of your doom. Never forget how close you were to the Kingdom of God!” Even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a city on the Judgment Day.”

Rejection brings judgment
Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to pour out his denunciations (his condemnations) against the cities where he had done most of his miracles, because they hadn’t turned to God.
“Woe (distress, sorrow and suffering) to you, Chorazin, and woe to you Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in your streets had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon their people would have repented (and turned to God) long ago in shame and humility. Truly, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on the Judgment Day than you! And Capernaum, though highly honored shall go down to hell! (the home of the damned!). For if the marvelous miracles I did in you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today. Truly, Sodom will be better off at the Judgment Day than you.”
Luke 10:13-16
“What horrors await you, you cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did for you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, their people would have sat in deep repentance long ago, clothed in sackcloth and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. Yes, Tyre and Sidon will receive less punishment on the Judgment Day than you. And you people of Capernaum, what shall I say about you? Will you be exalted to heaven? No, you shall be brought down to hell.”
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Those who welcome you are welcoming me. And those who reject you are rejecting me. And those who reject me are rejecting God who sent me.”

The seventy disciples return
Luke 10:17-24
When the seventy disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Even the demons obey us when we use your name.”
“Yes,” Jesus told them, “I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them. Nothing shall injure you. However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven.”
Then Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the intellectuals and worldly wise and for revealing them to those who are as trusting as little children. Yes, thank you Father, for that is the way you wanted it. I am the Agent of my Father in everything; and no one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then, turning to the twelve disciples, he said quietly, “How privileged you are to see what you have seen. Many a prophet and king of old has longed for these days, to see and hear what you have seen and heard!”

The benefits of discipleship
Matthew 19:27-30
Then Peter said to Jesus, “We left everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?”
Jesus replied, “When I, the Son of Mankind, shall sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you my disciples shall certainly sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And any one who gives up his home, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or property, to follow me, shall receive a hundred times as much in return and shall have eternal life. But many who are first now will be last then; and some who are last now will be first then.”
Mark 10:28-31
Then Peter began to mention all that he and the other disciples had left behind. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
And Jesus replied, “Let me assure you that no one has given up anything – home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or property – for love of me and to tell others the Good News, who won’t be given back a hundred times over, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land – with persecutions! (prolonged hostility and ill-treatment!)
“All these will be his here on earth, and in the world to come he shall have eternal life. But many people who seem to be important now will be the least important then; and many who are considered least here shall be greatest there.”
Luke 18:28-30
Peter said, “We have left our homes and followed you.”
“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and everyone who has done as you have, leaving home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for the sake (honor and interests) of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over now, as well as receiving eternal life in the world to come.”

The Father makes appointments in Heaven
Matthew 20:20-23
Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought them to Jesus, bowed, and asked a favor. “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your kingdom, will you let my two sons sit on two thrones next to yours?”
But Jesus told her, “You don’t know what you are asking!” Then he turned to James and John and asked them, “Are you able to drink from the terrible cup I am about to drink from?”
“Yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
“You shall indeed drink from it,” he told them. “But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to mine. Those places are reserved for the persons my Father selects.”
Mark 10:35-40
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him in a low voice. “Master,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
“What is it?” he asked. “We want to sit on the thrones next to yours in your kingdom,” they said, “one at your right and the other at your left!”
But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I must drink from? Or to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
“Oh, yes,” they said, “we are!”
And Jesus said, “You shall indeed drink from my cup and be baptized with my baptism. But I do not have the right to place you on thrones next to mine. Those appointments have already been made.”

Leadership through service
Matthew 10:24-28
The other ten disciples were indignant when they heard what James and John had asked for.
But Jesus called them together and said, “Among the heathen, kings are tyrants and each minor official lords it over those beneath him.
But among you it is quite different. Anyone wanting to be a leader among you must be your servant. And if you want to be right at the top, you must serve like a slave. Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Son of Mankind, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:41-45
When the other disciples discovered what James and John had asked, they were very indignant. So Jesus called them to him and said, “As you know, the kings and great men of the earth lord it over the people. But among you it is different. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be greatest of all must be the slave of all. For even I, the Man from Heaven, am not here to be served, but to help others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 22:24-30
And they began to argue among themselves as to who would have the highest rank (in the coming Kingdom).
Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men order their slaves around, and the slaves have no choice but to like it! But among you, the one who serves you best will be your leader. Out in the world the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant. Nevertheless, because you have stood true to me in these terrible days, and because my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I, here and now, grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in that Kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Service to others, the path of blessing
John 13:14-17
“Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow: do as I have done to you. How true it is that a servant is not greater than his master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends him. You know these things – now do them. That is the path of blessing.”

Welcome Jesus’ friends
John 13:20
“Truly, anyone welcoming the person, whom I will send, is welcoming me. And to welcome me is to welcome the Father who sent me.”

A new commandment – love each other
John 13:34-35
“And so I am giving a new commandment to you now – love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Beware of hypocrisy
Luke 12:1-3
(Beware of pretence) Meanwhile the crowds grew until thousands upon thousands were milling about and crushing each other. He turned now to his disciples and warned them, “More than anything else, beware of (and avoid) these Pharisees and the way they pretend to be good when they aren’t. But such hypocrisy (such pretence) cannot be hidden forever. It will become as evident as yeast in dough. Whatever they have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be broadcast from the housetops for all to hear!”

Fear God
Luke 12:4-7
“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to murder you. They can only kill the body; they have no power over your souls. But I’ll tell you whom to fear – fear God who has the power to kill and then cast into hell.”
“What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And he knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.”

Acknowledgement or denial
Luke 12:8-12
“And I assure you of this: I, the Man from Heaven, will publicly honor you in the presence of God’s angels if you publicly acknowledge me here on earth as your friend. But I will deny before the angels those who deny me here among men. (Yet those who speak against me may be forgiven – while those who speak against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven.)
And when you are brought to trial before these Jewish rulers and the authorities in the synagogues, don’t be concerned about what to say in your defence, for the Holy Spirit will give you the right words even as you are standing there.”

Don’t worry
Luke 12:22-26
Then turning to his disciples he said, “Don’t worry about whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life consists of far more than food and clothes. Look at the ravens – they don’t plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get by all right – for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!
And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not. And if worry can’t even do such little things as that, what’s the use of worrying over big things?”
Luke 12:27-31
“Look at the lilies. They don’t toil and spin, and yet Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are. And if God provides clothing for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, don’t you suppose that he will provide clothing for you, you doubters? And don’t worry about food – what to eat and drink; don’t let it cause you anxiety. All mankind scratches for its daily bread, but your heavenly Father knows your needs. He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”

Don’t be afraid
Luke 12:32-34
“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will fatten your purses in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no rips or holes in them. Your treasures there will never disappear; no thief can steal them; no moth can destroy them. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.”

Be prepared for your Lord’s return
Luke 12:35-40
“Be prepared – all dressed and ready – for your Lord’s return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. There will be great joy for those who are ready and waiting for his return. He himself will seat them and put on a waiter’s uniform and serve them as they sit and eat. He may come at nine o’clock at night – or even at midnight. But whenever he comes there will be joy (pleasure and happiness) for his servants who are ready.”
“Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return – just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming. So be ready all the time. For I, the Man of Glory, will come when least expected.”

Trustworthy or untrustworthy servants
Luke 12:41-48
Peter asked, “Lord, are you talking just to us or to everyone?”
And the Lord replied, “I’m talking to any faithful, sensible man whose master gives him the responsibility of feeding the other servants. If his master returns and finds that he has done a good job, there will be a reward – his master will put him in charge of all he owns.”
“But if the man begins to think, ‘My lord won’t be back for a long time,’ and begins to whip the men and women he is supposed to protect, and to spend his time at drinking parties and in drunkenness – well, his Master will return without notice and remove him from his position of trust and assign him to the place of the unfaithful. He will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty he refused to do it.”
“But anyone who is not aware that he is doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater.”

Strife and division
Luke 12:49-53
“I have come to bring fire to the earth, and, oh, that my task were completed! There is a terrible baptism ahead of me, and how I am pent up (restricted and held back) until it is accomplished.”

“Do you think I have come to give peace to the earth? No! Rather, strife and division. From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against – or perhaps the other way around. A father will decide one way about me; his son, the other; mother and daughter will disagree; and the decision of an honored mother-in-law will be spurned (and rejected) by her daughter-in-law.”

Look at the time
Luke 12:54-59
Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right.”
“When the south wind blows you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. Hypocrites! (Pretenders!) You interpret the sky well enough, but you refuse to notice the warnings all around you about the crisis ahead. Why do you refuse to see for yourselves what is right?”
“If you meet your accuser on the way to court, try to settle the matter before it reaches the judge, in case he should sentence you to jail. For if that happens you won’t be free until the last penny is paid in full.”

The return of the seventy
Luke 10:17-24
When the seventy disciples returned, they joyfully reported to Jesus, “Even the demons obey us when we use your name.”
“Yes,” Jesus told them, “I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them. Nothing shall injure you. However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven.”
Then Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise (celebrate and honor) you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the intellectuals and worldly wise and for revealing them to those who are as trusting as little children. Yes, thank you, Father, for that is the way you wanted it. I am the Agent of my Father in everything; and no one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then, turning to the twelve disciples, he said quietly, “How privileged you are to see what you have seen. Many a prophet and king of old has longed for these days, to see and hear what you have seen and heard!”

Jesus says, come to me
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise, and for revealing it to little children. Yes, Father, for it pleased you to do it this way!”
“All truth has been entrusted to me by my Father. Only the Father knows the Son, and the Father is known only by the Son and by those to whom the Son reveals him. Come to me and I will give you rest – all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke (a heavy harness). Wear my yoke (my harness) - for it fits perfectly – and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.”

The cost of being a disciple
Luke 14:25-35
Great crowds were following Jesus. He turned around and addressed them as follows: “Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters – yes, more than his own life – otherwise he cannot be my disciple. And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross (his own load of hardship, suffering and misery) and follow me.”
But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if he has enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise he might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh!
“‘See that fellow there?’ they would mock. ‘He started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!’”
“Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty thousand men who are marching against him? If the decision is negative, then while the enemy troops are still far away, he will send a truce team to discuss terms of peace.”
“So no one can become my disciple unless he first sits down and counts his blessings (his current benefits, advantages and possessions) – and then renounces them all for me!”
“What good is salt that has lost its saltiness? Flavorless salt is fit for nothing – not even for fertilizer. It is worthless and must be thrown out. Listen well, if you would understand my meaning.”

Temptations to disobey God
Luke 17:1-4
“There will always be temptations to sin (to disobey God),” Jesus said one day to his disciples, but woe (distress, sorrow and suffering) to the man who does the tempting. If he were thrown into the sea with a huge rock tied to his neck, he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children. I am warning you!”
“Rebuke (criticize and reprimand sharply) your brother if he sins (if he disobeys God), and forgive him if he is sorry. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him.”

More faith
Luke 17:5-10
One day the apostles said to the Lord, “We need more faith; tell us how to get it.”
“If your faith (your firm, relying trust and confidence) were only the size of a mustard seed,” Jesus answered, “it would be large enough to uproot that mulberry tree over there and send it hurtling into the sea. Your command would bring immediate results. When a servant comes in from ploughing or taking care of sheep, he doesn’t just sit down and eat, but first prepares his master’s meal and serves him his supper before he eats his own. And he is not even thanked, for he is merely doing what he is supposed to do. Just so, if you merely obey me, you should not consider yourselves worthy of praise. For you have simply done your duty!”

Some Greeks seek Jesus
John 12:20-36
Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to attend the Passover paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida, and said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
Jesus replied that the time had come for him to return to his glory in heaven, and that, “I must fall and die like a grain of wheat that falls between the furrows of the earth. Unless I die I will be alone – a single seed. But my death will produce many new wheat grains – a plentiful harvest of new lives. If you love your life down here – you will lose it. If you despise (and look down on) your life down here – you will exchange it for eternal glory.”
“If these Greeks want to be my disciples, tell them to come and follow me, for my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them. Now my soul is deeply troubled. Shall I pray, ‘Father, save me from what lies ahead’? But that is the very reason why I came. Father, bring glory and honor to your name.”
Then a voice spoke from heaven saying, “I have already done this, and I will do it again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some of them thought it was thunder while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time of judgment for the world has come – and the time when Satan, the prince of this world, shall be cast out. And when I am lifted up (on the cross), I will draw everyone to me.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
“Die?” asked the crowd. “We understood that the Messiah would live forever and never die? What Messiah are you talking about?”
Jesus replied, “My light will shine out for you just a little while longer. Walk in it while you can, and go where you want to go before the darkness falls, for then it will be too late for you to find your way. Make use of the Light while there is still time; then you will become light bearers.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

Jesus’ mother and brothers
Matthew 12:46-50
As Jesus was speaking in a crowded house his mother and brothers were outside, wanting to talk with him.
When someone told him they were there, he remarked, “Who is my mother?
Who are my brothers? He pointed to his disciples. “Look!” he said, these are my mother and brothers.” Then he added, “Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother, sister and mother!”
Mark 3:31-35
Now his mother and brothers arrived at the crowded house where Jesus was teaching, and they sent word for him to come out and talk with them. “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to see you,” he was told.
He replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? Looking at those around him he said, “These are my mother and brothers! Anyone who does God’s will is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.”
Luke 8:19-21
Once when his mother and brothers came to see him, they couldn’t get into the house where he was teaching, because of the crowds. When Jesus heard they were standing outside and wanted to see him, he remarked, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear the message of
God and obey it.”

Jesus appears to his disciples and directs them
John 20:21-23
Jesus spoke to them again and said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven.”
John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. But blessed (happy and fortunate) are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this – that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
Mark 16:15-18
Then Jesus told them, “You are to go into the entire world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. But those who refuse to believe will be condemned.”
“And those who believe shall use my authority to cast out demons, and they shall speak new languages. They will even be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it will not hurt them, and they will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.”
Luke 24:46-49
Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day; and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me. You have seen these prophecies come true.
And now I will send the Holy Spirit upon you, just as my Father promised.