Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²³ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross ^(C)daily and follow me. ²⁴ For ^(D)whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ^25 (E)For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For ^(F)whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed ^(G)when he comes in ^(H)his glory and the glory of the Father and of ^(I)the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not ^(J)taste death ^(K)until they see the kingdom of God.”

A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus

⁵¹ When the days drew near for ^(A)him to be taken up, ^(B)he set his face ^(C)to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And ^(D)he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of ^(E)the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ⁵³ But ^(F)the people did not receive him, because ^(G)his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell ^(H)fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”^{[a] 55} But he turned and rebuked them.^{[b] 56} And they went on to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were going ^(I)along the road, ^(J)someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ And Jesus^[c] said to him, “Leave ^(K)the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and ^(L)proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, ^(M)but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶² Jesus said to him, ^(N)“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed ^(O)seventy-two^[d] others and ^(P)sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. ^2 (Q)And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ^(R)Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.