9Verse 1Then He called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons,+and to cure diseases;Verse 2and He sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.Verse 3And He said to them: “Take nothing for the journey—neither staffs+nor knapsack nor bread nor money, neither have two tunics apiece.Verse 4Whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.Verse 5But as many as do not receive you, when you depart from that town, shake off even the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”Verse 6So they set out and went around, village by village, evangelizing and healing everywhere.
Herod is troubled
Verse 7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things being done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,Verse 8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen.Verse 9But Herod said, “John I beheaded; so who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he started trying to see Him.+
Jesus feeds about 5,000 men
Verse 10When the Apostles returned they reported to Him all that they had done. Then He took them and withdrew privately to a deserted place belonging to a town called Bethsaida.+Verse 11But the crowds, being aware, followed Him. So He received them and started speaking to them about the Kingdom of God, and He cured those who needed healing.Verse 12Now when the day began to decline, the Twelve approached and said to Him, “Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go to the surrounding villages and their farms, lodge and find food; because we are in a deserted place here.”Verse 13But He said to them, “You feed them!”+So they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd”Verse 14(there were about five thousand men). But He said to His disciples, “Make them recline in groups of fifty!”Verse 15They did so, making them all recline.Verse 16Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.Verse 17So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the pieces they left were taken up.+
“You are the Christ!”
Verse 18Now it happened, as He was alone praying, that the disciples joined Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the crowds say I am?”Verse 19In answer they said, “John the Baptizer, but others say ‘Elijah,’ while others that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.”Verse 20Then He said to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?” In answer Peter said, “The Christ+of God!”Verse 21But He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one,Verse 22saying, “The Son of the Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”
To gain is to lose, to lose is to gain
Verse 23Then He said to everyone: “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross,+and follow me.Verse 24Because whoever desires to ‘save’ his life will waste it, but whoever ‘wastes’ his life for my sake, he will save it.+Verse 25Further, what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, yet wastes or forfeits his very self?Verse 26Yes, whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of the Man will be ashamed of Him, whenever He comes in the glory—His, and the Father's, and of the holy angels.+Verse 27However, I tell you truly: there are some standing here who will certainly not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God!”
Peter, John and James see the ‘Kingdom’
Verse 28Now about eight days after these words, it happened that He took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.Verse 29And as He prayed, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing dazzling white.Verse 30And then, two men started talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah;Verse 31they appeared in glory and were explaining His ‘departure’, that He was about to bring to fruition in Jerusalem.+Verse 32Now Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; but becoming fully awake, they saw His glory, and the two men who stood with Him.Verse 33Then it happened: as they were parting from Him, Peter said to Jesus: “Master, it is good for us to be here” and “Should we make three shelters: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah?”+—not knowing what he was saying.Verse 34But as he was saying this a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they became afraid as they entered the cloud.Verse 35And a Voice+came out of the cloud, saying: “This is my beloved+Son. Listen to Him!”Verse 36When the Voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. (They kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.)+
A violent demon
Verse 37Now it happened on the next day, when they came down from the mountain,+that a large crowd met Him.Verse 38And then, a man from the crowd called out, saying: “Teacher, I beg you, look upon my son, for he is my only begotten.Verse 39And oh, a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams, and it convulses him with foaming, and it hardly departs from him, destroying him!Verse 40And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”Verse 41Then in answer Jesus said: “O unbelieving and perverse+generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you (pl)? Bring your (sg) son here!”Verse 42But while he was still coming the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.Verse 43Everyone was amazed at the majesty+of God. Jesus foretells His death, again But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples,Verse 44“Let these words sink into your ears, because the Son of the Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”+Verse 45But they did not understand this saying; indeed it was concealed from them,+in order that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
He who is least will be great
Verse 46Then an argument started among them as to which of them would be the greatest.Verse 47So Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their heart, took a little child and had him stand beside Him,Verse 48and said to them: “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me. Further, he who is least among all of you, he will be great.”
John changes the subject
Verse 49Then John reacted by saying, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”Verse 50So Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid, because he who is not against us is for us.”+
A Samaritan village
Verse 51Now it happened, as the days for His Ascension approached,+that He set His face to go to Jerusalem,Verse 52and He sent messengers ahead of Him. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for Him.Verse 53But they did not receive Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.Verse 54Well, when His disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and consume them, just like Elijah did?”+Verse 55But He turned and rebuked them saying: “You do not know of what sort of spirit you are.Verse 56Further, the Son of the Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save.”+And they went to another village.
The cost of discipleship
Verse 57Now as they journeyed on the road, it happened that someone said to Him, “Lord,+I will follow you wherever you go.”Verse 58So Jesus said to him, “The foxes have dens and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of the Man has no place to lay His head.”+Verse 59Then He said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”Verse 60Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”+Verse 61And another also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to bid farewell to those who are at my house.”+Verse 62But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to ‘the plow’ and looks back is suitable for the Kingdom of God.”+