Luke 9
Chapter 9
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
1 One day Jesus called together his twelve disciplest and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases.2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money,t or even a change of clothes.4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town.
5 And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Herod’s Confusion
7 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,t heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.
8 Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.
9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.
11 But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.
12 Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”
13 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?”
14 For there were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.”15 So the people all sat down.16 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.
17 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiaht sent from God!”
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was.
22 “The Son of Mant must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
27 I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray.29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.
31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him.33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorialst—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
35 Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.t Listen to him.”
36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child.39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone.
40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evilt spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father.
43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power.
While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.”
45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest.47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side.
48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalft welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”
Using the Name of Jesus
49 John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”
50 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
Opposition from Samaritans
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival.53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem.54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them upt?”55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.t
56 So they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!t Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Luke 9
The Sending of the Twelve Apostles
1 Aftert Jesust calledt the twelves together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cures diseases,2 and he sents them out to proclaimt the kingdom of Gods and to heal the sick.s3 Het said to them, “Take nothing for yourt journey – no staff,s no bag,t no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic.t4 Whatevert house you enter, stay theres until you leave the area.t5 Wherevert they do not receive you,t as you leave that town,t shake the dust offs your feet as a testimony against them.”
6 Thent they departed and went throughoutt the villages, proclaiming the good newsts and healing people everywhere.
Herod’s Confusion about Jesus
7 Now Herods the tetrarchs heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed,t because some people were saying that Johns had been raised from the dead,8 while others were saying that Elijahs had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen.s
9 Herod said, “I had Johnt beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.t
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
10 Whent the apostles returned,t they told Jesust everything they had done. Thent he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a townst called Bethsaida.s11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. Het welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God,s and cured those who needed healing.s12 Now the day began to draw to a close,t sot the twelve came and said to Jesus,t “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodgingt and food, because we are in an isolated place.”t13 But he said to them, “Yout give them something to eat.” Theyt replied,t “We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unlesst we got and buy foods for all these people.”14 (Now about five thousand ment were there.)s Thent he said to his disciples, “Havet them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15 So they did as Jesus directed,t and the peoplet all sat down.
16 Thent he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thankss and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
17 They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left overs was picked up – twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Peter’s Confession
18 Oncet when Jesust was prayings by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them,t “Who do the crowds say that I am?”s19 Theyt answered,t “John the Baptist; others say Elijah;s and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.”s20 Thent he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Petert answered,t “The Christts of God.”21 But he forcefully commandedt them not to tell this to anyone,s
22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffers many things and be rejected by the elders,s chief priests, and experts in the law,t and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”s
A Call to Discipleship
23 Thent he said to them all,s “If anyone wants to become my follower,t he must denyt himself, take up his cross daily,s and follow me.24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,s but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.25 For what does it benefit a persont if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?26 For whoever is ashameds of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that persont when he comes in his glory and in the gloryt of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you most certainly,t there are some standing here who will nott experiencet death before they see the kingdom of God.”s
The Transfiguration
28 Nowt about eight dayst after these sayings, Jesust took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray.29 Ast he was praying,t the appearance of his face was transformed,ts and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white.t30 Thent two men, Moses and Elijah,s began talking with him.t31 They appeared in glorious splendor and spoke about his departuret that he was about to carry outt at Jerusalem.s32 Now Peter and those with him were quite sleepy,t but as they became fully awake,t they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.33 Thent as the ment were starting to leave,t Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters,ts one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah” – not knowing what he was saying.34 Ast he was saying this, a clouds camet and overshadowedt them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.35 Thent a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.sts Listen to him!”s
36 Aftert the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. Sot they kept silent and told no ones at that timet anything of what they had seen.
Healing a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
37 Now ont the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.38 Thent a man from the crowd cried out,t “Teacher, I beg you to look att my son – he is my only child!39 At spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams;t it throws him into convulsionss and causes him to foam at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him alone, torturingt him severely.40 It beggeds your disciples to cast it out, butt they could not do so.”t41 Jesus answered,t “Yout unbelievingts and perverse generation! How much longert must I be with you and enduret you?s Bring your son here.”42 Ast the boyt was approaching, the demon threw him to the grounds and shook him with convulsions.t But Jesus rebukedt the uncleans spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43 Thent they were all astonished at the mighty powers of God.
But while the entire crowdt was amazed at everything Jesusst was doing, he said to his disciples,
Another Prediction of Jesus’ Suffering
44 “Take these words to heart,t for the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”t
45 But they did not understand this statement; its meaningt had been concealeds from them, so that they could not grasp it. Yett they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
Concerning the Greatest
46 Now an argument started among the disciplest as to which of them might bet the greatest.47 But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts,t he took a child, had him stand byt his side,
48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomest this childs in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.”t
On the Right Side
49 John answered,t “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stops him because he is not a disciplet along with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Rejection in Samaria
51 Now whent the days drew neart for him to be taken up,s Jesust set out resolutelyt to go to Jerusalem.s52 Het sent messengers on ahead of him.t As they went along,t they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advancet for him,53 but the villagerst refused to welcomet him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.ts54 Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consumetthem?”ss55 But Jesust turned and rebuked them,ss
56 and they went on to another village.
Challenging Professed Followers
57 Ast they were walkingt along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”ss58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the skyt have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”s59 Jesust said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied,t “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”60 But Jesust said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead,s but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”s61 Yett another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.”t
62 Jesust said to him, “No one who puts hist hand to the plow and looks backs is fit for the kingdom of God.”s
