Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Sheep among wolves

¹⁶ “See here,” Jesus continued, “I’m sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes, and as innocent as doves.

¹⁷ “Watch out for danger from people around you. They will hand you over to councils, and flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ You will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as evidence to them and to the nations. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, don’t worry how to speak or what to say. What you have to say will be given to you at that moment. ²⁰ It won’t be you speaking, you see; it will be the spirit of your father speaking in you.

²¹ “One brother will betray another to death; fathers will betray children, and children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who holds out to the end will be delivered.

²³ “When they persecute you in one town, run off to the next one. I’m telling you the truth: you won’t have gone through all the towns of Israel before the son of man comes.”

Warnings and encouragements

²⁴ “The disciple isn’t greater than the teacher; the slave isn’t greater than the master. ²⁵ It’s quite enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave to be like the master. If they called the master of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ think what they’re going to call his family!