Jesus · c. AD 29
Chapter 27
Sent Out
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
For parents
In this chapter Jesus warns the twelve that they will be whipped in synagogues and hated by everyone, and that brothers, fathers and children will hand one another over to be put to death (Matthew 10:17–22). He speaks of those who kill the body and of Gehenna (10:28), of setting family members against each other (10:34–36), and of taking one’s cross (10:38).
left that place and came to his own country, and his followed him. Matthew says this was when he had finished telling the of the sower and the others.
On the he started teaching in the , and many of the people listening were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get these things? What is this wisdom he’s been given? How can such mighty works be done by his hands?”
In Mark, they went on, “Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
Matthew gives their words this way: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?”
So they were offended at him. Jesus said to them, “A is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
Mark says that he couldn’t do any mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. Their unbelief amazed him. Matthew says that he didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Jesus went around the villages, teaching. Matthew says he traveled through all the cities and villages. He taught in their synagogues, preached the Good News of the Kingdom, and healed every disease and every sickness among the people.
Looking at the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest really is plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray that the Lord of the harvest will send laborers out into his harvest.”
He called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority over spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every sickness. Luke says he gave them power and authority over all , and power to cure diseases. He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick. In Mark, Jesus began to send them out two by two.
Matthew gives the names of the twelve . First comes , then his brother ; and his brother ; ; ; ; the ; ; ; ; and , the one who betrayed him.
Jesus sent the twelve out with these orders: “Don’t go among the , and don’t go into any city of the . Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
“As you go, preach, and say, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near!’ Heal those who are sick, make people with clean, and drive out demons. You received freely, so give freely.
“Don’t carry any gold, silver or brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, no second coat, no sandals and no staff, because a worker deserves to be fed.
“Whatever city or village you go into, find out who there is worthy, and stay there until you move on. As you go into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it; but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace come back to you.
“If anyone won’t receive you or hear what you say, then as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. I tell you for certain, on the day of judgment, the land of and will have an easier time of it than that city.”
In Mark, Jesus told the twelve they could take a staff and nothing else for the journey: no bread, no bag, and no money in their purses. They were to wear sandals, but not to put on two tunics. In Luke he told them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staffs, no bag, no bread, no money. And don’t have two tunics each.” And in Mark and Luke, he told them to shake off the dust from their feet as a testimony against those who would not receive them.
“Look, I send you out as sheep among wolves,” Jesus said. “So be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
“But watch out for people, because they will hand you over to the councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the nations.
“When they hand you over, don’t be anxious about how you will speak or what you will say. You will be given what to say in that hour, because it isn’t you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
“A brother will hand his brother over to be killed, and a father will hand over his own child. Children will rise up against their own parents and cause them to be put to death. All people will hate you because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
“When they persecute you in this city, run to the next. I tell you for certain, you won’t have gone through the cities of Israel before the has come.”
“A disciple isn’t above his teacher,” Jesus said, “and a servant isn’t above his master. It’s enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and for a servant to be like his master. If people have called the master of the house , they will say it even more about those in his household!
“So don’t be afraid of them, because everything covered will be brought into the open, and everything hidden will be made known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, say it in the light. Whatever you hear whispered in your ear, call it out from the housetops.
“Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but aren’t able to kill the soul. Be afraid instead of the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in .
“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But every hair on your head is numbered. So don’t be afraid: you are of more value than many sparrows.” An assarion was a small coin, about what a farm worker earned in half an hour.
“So if anyone acknowledges me in front of people,” Jesus went on, “I will acknowledge him too, in front of my Father who is in heaven. But if anyone denies me in front of people, I will deny him too, in front of my Father who is in heaven.”
“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth,” Jesus said. “I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. I came to set a man at odds with his father, a daughter with her mother, and a daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law. A man’s own household will be his enemies.
“If someone loves father or mother more than me, he isn’t worthy of me. If someone loves son or daughter more than me, he isn’t worthy of me. If someone doesn’t take his cross and follow me, he isn’t worthy of me.
“If someone tries to find his life, he will lose it; and if someone loses his life for my sake, he will find it.”
“When someone welcomes you, he welcomes me,” Jesus said, “and when someone welcomes me, he welcomes the one who sent me. When someone welcomes a prophet for being a prophet, he will receive a prophet’s reward. When someone welcomes a man for being righteous, he will receive a righteous man’s reward.
“And if someone gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink because that little one is a disciple, I tell you for certain, there is no way he will lose his reward.”
When Jesus was done giving his twelve disciples their orders, he left there to teach and preach in their cities.
The twelve went out. They preached that people should , they drove many demons out, and they anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Luke says they went all through the villages, preaching the Good News and healing everywhere.