New Testament in a Year
End of the Galilean Ministry
37 Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon.[a] On the following day, when they descended from the mountain, a large crowd came forth to meet him. 38 Then, suddenly, a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I implore you to look at my son. He is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and with a shriek suddenly throws him into convulsions until he begins to foam at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him, continuously torturing him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
41 Jesus said in reply, “O unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer shall I remain with you and have to endure you? Bring your son here!” 42 As the boy was approaching him, the demon threw him into convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all those present were awestruck at the greatness of God.
Jesus Predicts His Passion a Second Time.[b] Amid the astonishment of the crowds at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to these words. The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.” 45 But they did not understand what he was saying. Its meaning was hidden from them so that they could not comprehend his message, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
46 True Greatness.[c] The disciples then began to argue about which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a child, placed him by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”
49 Whoever Is Not against You Is with You.[d] John then said, “Master, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we forbade him because he is not with us.” 50 Jesus replied, “Do not hinder him! For whoever is not against you is with you.”
The Journey to Jerusalem[e]
The Departure
51 Passing through Samaria.[f] As the time drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus resolutely set his sights on Jerusalem, 52 and he sent messengers ahead of him. They entered a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his arrival, 53 but the people there would not receive him because his destination was Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”[g] 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they journeyed forth to another village.
57 The Cost of Following Jesus.[h] As they traveled along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus told 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.” The man replied, “Lord, allow me to go first and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You are to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but allow me first to say farewell to my family at home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
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