Old/New Testament

³⁷ The next day they came down the hill. Many people met him.

³⁸ One man among them called out, `Teacher, I beg you, look at my son. He is my only child.

³⁹ A bad spirit takes hold of him and he screams. It throws him around and makes him foam at his mouth. It beats him badly and does not want to leave him.

⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive the bad spirit out, but they could not do it.'

⁴¹ Jesus said, `You people today do not believe. You have turned away from God. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.'

⁴² While he was coming, the bad spirit knocked him down and threw him around. Jesus told the spirit to stop. He healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

⁴³ All the people were surprised to see that God has so much power. While the people were wondering about everything Jesus did, he talked to his disciples.

⁴⁴ He said, `Listen well to what I say. The Son of Man will be given over to men,'

⁴⁵ But they did not understand what he said. The meaning was hidden from them so they would not understand it. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶ The disciples started talking among themselves. They quarrelled about which of them was the greatest person.

⁴⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a child and put him by his side.

⁴⁸ Then he said, `If anyone takes in a child like this for my sake, he takes in me. And if anyone takes in me, he takes in the one who sent me. The one who takes the least or lowest place among you is the greatest.'

⁴⁹ John answered, `Master, we saw a man driving bad spirits out of people. He was using your name. We told him to stop because he is not one of us.'

⁵⁰ But Jesus said, `Do not stop him. Anyone who is not against you is on your side.'

⁵¹ The time was near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. Then he started off for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of him.

⁵² They went to one of the towns of the Samaritan people to get ready for him.

⁵³ But the people would not take him in because he was going to Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw that, they said, `Lord, do you want us to ask for fire to come down from the sky and burn them up?'

⁵⁵ But he turned and said to them, `Stop that! You do not think about what kind of spirit you are showing.

⁵⁶ The Son of Man did not come to kill people, but to save them.' And they went on to another town.

⁵⁷ As they went along on the road, a man said to him, `I will go anywhere you go.'

⁵⁸ Jesus said, `Foxes have holes to live in. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lie down to rest.'

⁵⁹ Jesus said to another man who followed him, `Come with me.' But the man said, `Lord, let me go first and bury my father.'

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, `Let those who are dead bury their own dead people. As for you, go and tell people about God's kingdom.'

⁶¹ Another man said to Jesus, `Sir, I will go with you. But let me go first to my home and tell them I am going.'

⁶² Jesus said to him, `Any person who starts doing something and then keeps looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God.'