Day 274 of 364

^9:1He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city. ^9:2Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.” ^9:3Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” ^9:4Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ^9:5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? ^9:6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.” ^9:7He arose and departed to his house. ^9:8But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. ^9:9As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. ^9:10As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. ^9:11When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ^9:12When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ^9:13But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” ^9:14Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” ^9:15Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ^9:16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. ^9:17Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” ^9:18While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ^9:19Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. ^9:20Behold, a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; ^9:21for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.” ^9:22But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. ^9:23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, ^9:24he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him. ^9:25But when the crowd was sent out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ^9:26The report of this went out into all that land. ^9:27As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!” ^9:28When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.” ^9:29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” ^9:30Then their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” ^9:31But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land. ^9:32As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. ^9:33When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!” ^9:34But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.” ^9:35Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. ^9:36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. ^9:37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ^9:38Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.” ^10:1He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. ^10:2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; ^10:3Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; ^10:4Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. ^10:5Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. ^10:6Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ^10:7As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ ^10:8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. ^10:9Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. ^10:10Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. ^10:11Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. ^10:12As you enter into the household, greet it. ^10:13If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. ^10:14Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. ^10:15Most 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. ^10:16“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. ^10:17But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. ^10:18Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. ^10:19But 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. ^10:20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. ^10:21“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. ^10:22You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. ^10:23But 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 Son of Man has come. ^10:24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. ^10:25It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! ^10:26Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ^10:27What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. ^10:28Don’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. ^10:29“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ^10:30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ^10:31Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. ^10:32Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. ^10:33But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. ^10:34“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. ^10:35For 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. ^10:36A man’s foes will be those of his own household. ^10:37He 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. ^10:38He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. ^10:39He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. ^10:40“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ^10:41He 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. ^10:42Whoever 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.”