Matthew 10
The Voice
Matthew gives a summary of what Jesus has done—teaching, preaching, and healing—and why He has done it—because of His compassion. Jesus then calls His disciples to this same type of ministry. The following sermon that Jesus gives to His disciples is the second of the five main sermons in Matthew.
10 Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him. He endowed them with the authority to heal sickness and disease and to drive demons out of those who were possessed.
Up to this point, the disciples have been, mostly, following Jesus around, listening to Him teach, watching Him heal. And so now we call these twelve beloved men not merely “disciples,” or “apprentices,” but “apostles,” which means “those who are sent as representatives, emissaries.” Jesus is preparing to send them into the harvest field to do His Father’s work.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: Simon (who is called Peter, which means “the rock”) and his brother Andrew; James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew (the tax collector); James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot (who would betray Him).
5 Jesus sent out these twelve with clear instructions.
Jesus: Don’t go to the outsiders or to the towns inhabited by Samaritans, a people whose Jewish ancestors married Gentiles. 6 Go instead to find and heal the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons from the possessed. You received these gifts freely, so you should give them to others freely. 9 Do not take money with you: don’t take gold, silver, or even small, worthless change. 10 Do not pack a bag with clothes. Do not take sandals or a walking stick. Be fed and sheltered by those who show you hospitality. 11 When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is trustworthy and stay at his house as long as you are visiting that town. 12 When you enter this home, greet the household kindly. 13 And if the home is indeed trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it; if not, keep your blessing to yourself. 14 If someone is inhospitable to you or refuses to listen to your testimony, leave that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. 15 This is the truth: Sodom and Gomorrah, those ancient pits of inhospitality, will fare better on judgment day than towns who ignore you tomorrow or next week.
16 Listen: I am sending you out to be sheep among wolves. You must be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 You must be careful. You must be discerning. You must be on your guard. There will be men who try to hand you over to their town councils and have you flogged in their synagogues. 18 Because of Me, naysayers and doubters will try to make an example out of you by trying you before rulers and kings. 19 When this happens—when you are arrested, dragged to court—don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. The words you should speak will be given to you. For at that moment, 20 it will not be you speaking; it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 Your task will be fraught with betrayal: brother will betray brother, even to the point of death; fathers will betray their children, and children will rebel against their fathers, even to the point of death. 22-23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next town. This is the truth: you will not be able to witness to every town in Israel before the Son of Man comes. Everyone will hate you because of Me. But remember: the one who stays on the narrow path until the end will be saved.
24 A student is no greater than his teacher, and a servant is never greater than his master. 25 It is sufficient if the student is like his teacher and the servant like his master. If people call the head of a house “Beelzebul,” which means “devil,” just imagine what they’re calling the members of his household.
26 Do not be afraid of those who may taunt or persecute you. Everything they do—even if they think they are hiding behind closed doors—will come to light. All their secrets will eventually be made known. 27 And you should proclaim in the bright light of day everything that I have whispered to you in the dark. Whatever whispers you hear—shout them from the rooftops of houses.
28 Don’t fear those who aim to kill just the body but are unable to touch the soul. The One to fear is He who can destroy you, soul and body, in the fires of hell. 29 Look, if you sold a few sparrows, how much money would you get? A copper coin apiece, perhaps? And yet your Father in heaven knows when those small sparrows fall to the ground. 30-31 You, beloved, are worth so much more than a whole flock of sparrows. God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. So do not fear.
32 Whoever knows Me here on earth, I will know him in heaven. And whoever proclaims faith in Me here on earth, I will proclaim faith in him before My Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns Me here, I will disown before My Father in heaven.
34 Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I have come to turn men against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. 36 You will find you have enemies even in your own household.[a] 37 If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. If you love your son or daughter more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me on the narrow road, then you are not worthy of Me. 39 To find your life, you must lose your life—and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Jesus calls His disciples to a radical commitment. Those who truly follow Jesus must be willing to follow Him to the point of death, just as He will later die for His commitment to God and others. Thus, whether they die literally or figuratively, His followers give up their lives for Him.
Jesus: 40 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet and surrenders to his prophecy will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who welcomes a righteous person and conforms to the righteousness that surrounds him and proceeds from him will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And anyone who has given so much as a cup of cold water to one of the little ones, because he is My disciple, I tell you, that person will be well rewarded.
Mateo 10
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
Jesús envía a los doce(A)(B)(C)(D)(E)
10 Reunió a sus doce discípulos y les dio autoridad para expulsar a los espíritus malignos y sanar toda enfermedad y toda dolencia.
2 Estos son los nombres de los doce apóstoles: primero Simón, llamado Pedro, y su hermano Andrés; Jacobo y su hermano Juan, hijos de Zebedeo; 3 Felipe y Bartolomé; Tomás y Mateo, el recaudador de impuestos; Jacobo, hijo de Alfeo, y Tadeo; 4 Simón el Zelote y Judas Iscariote, el que lo traicionó.
5 Jesús envió a estos doce con las siguientes instrucciones: «No vayáis entre los gentiles ni entréis en ningún pueblo de los samaritanos. 6 Id más bien a las ovejas descarriadas del pueblo de Israel. 7 Dondequiera que vayáis, predicad este mensaje: “El reino de los cielos está cerca”. 8 Sanad a los enfermos, resucitad a los muertos, limpiad de su enfermedad a los que tienen lepra, expulsad a los demonios. Lo que habéis recibido gratis, dadlo gratuitamente. 9 No llevéis oro ni plata ni cobre en el cinturón, 10 ni bolsa para el camino, ni dos mudas de ropa, ni sandalias, ni bastón; porque el trabajador merece que se le dé su sustento.
11 »En cualquier pueblo o aldea donde entréis, buscad a alguien que merezca recibiros y quedaos en su casa hasta que os marchéis de ese lugar. 12 Al entrar, decid: “Paz a esta casa”.[a] 13 Si el hogar se lo merece, que vuestra paz reine en él; y, si no, que la paz se vaya con vosotros. 14 Si alguno no os recibe bien ni escucha vuestras palabras, al salir de esa casa o de ese pueblo, sacudíos el polvo de los pies. 15 Os aseguro que en el día del juicio el castigo para Sodoma y Gomorra será más tolerable que para ese pueblo. 16 Os envío como ovejas en medio de lobos. Por tanto, sed astutos como serpientes y sencillos como palomas.
17 »Tened cuidado con la gente; os entregarán a los tribunales y os azotarán en las sinagogas. 18 Por mi causa os llevarán ante gobernadores y reyes para dar testimonio a ellos y a los gentiles. 19 Pero, cuando os arresten, no os preocupéis por lo que vais a decir o cómo vais a decirlo. En ese momento se os dará lo que habéis de decir, 20 porque no seréis vosotros los que habléis, sino que el Espíritu de vuestro Padre hablará por medio de vosotros.
21 »El hermano entregará a la muerte al hermano, y el padre al hijo. Los hijos se rebelarán contra sus padres y harán que los maten. 22 Por causa de mi nombre, todo el mundo os odiará, pero el que se mantenga firme hasta el fin será salvo. 23 Cuando os persigan en una ciudad, huid a otra. Os aseguro que no terminaréis de recorrer las ciudades de Israel antes de que venga el Hijo del hombre.
24 »El discípulo no es superior a su maestro, ni el siervo superior a su amo. 25 Basta con que el discípulo sea como su maestro, y el siervo como su amo. Si al jefe de la casa lo han llamado Beelzebú, ¡cuánto más a los de su familia!
26 »Así que no les tengáis miedo; porque no hay nada encubierto que no llegue a revelarse, ni nada escondido que no llegue a conocerse. 27 Lo que os digo en la oscuridad, decidlo a plena luz; lo que se os susurra al oído, proclamadlo desde las azoteas. 28 No temáis a los que matan el cuerpo, pero no pueden matar el alma.[b] Temed más bien al que puede destruir alma y cuerpo en el infierno.[c] 29 ¿No se venden dos gorriones por una monedita?[d] Sin embargo, ni uno de ellos caerá a tierra sin que lo permita el Padre; 30 y él tiene contados aun los cabellos de vuestra cabeza. 31 Así que no tengáis miedo; vosotros valéis más que muchos gorriones.
32 »A cualquiera que me reconozca delante de los demás, yo también lo reconoceré delante de mi Padre que está en el cielo. 33 Pero a cualquiera que me desconozca delante de los demás, yo también lo desconoceré delante de mi Padre que está en el cielo.
34 »No creáis que he venido a traer paz a la tierra. No vine a traer paz, sino espada. 35 Porque he venido a poner en conflicto
»“al hombre contra su padre,
a la hija contra su madre,
a la nuera contra su suegra;
36 los enemigos de cada cual
serán los de su propia familia”.[e]
37 »El que quiere a su padre o a su madre más que a mí no es digno de mí; el que quiere a su hijo o a su hija más que a mí no es digno de mí; 38 y el que no toma su cruz y me sigue no es digno de mí. 39 El que se aferre a su propia vida la perderá, y el que renuncie a[f] su propia vida por mi causa la encontrará.
40 »Quien os recibe a vosotros me recibe a mí; y quien me recibe a mí recibe al que me envió. 41 Cualquiera que recibe a un profeta por tratarse de un profeta recibirá recompensa de profeta; y el que recibe a un justo por tratarse de un justo recibirá recompensa de justo. 42 Y quien dé siquiera un vaso de agua fresca a uno de estos pequeños por tratarse de uno de mis discípulos, os aseguro que no perderá su recompensa».
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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