Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 40
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IMMERSE
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MESSIAH
9:51–10:11
As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set
out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to
prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome
Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John
saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven
to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on
to another village.
As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you
wherever you go.”
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.”
He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury
my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your
duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye
to my family.”
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks
back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in
pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the
Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his
fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among
wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra
pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.
“Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be
on this house.’ If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand;
if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don’t move around from
home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide.
Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve
their pay.
“If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before
you. Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’
But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We
wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’
