Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Peace and hope

5 The result is this: since we have been declared “in the right” on the basis of faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah. ² Through him we have been allowed to approach, by faith, into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate the hope of the glory of God.

³ That’s not all. We also celebrate in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patience, ⁴ patience produces a well-formed character, and a character like that produces hope. ⁵ Hope, in its turn, does not make us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the holy spirit who has been given to us.

Jesus’ death reveals God’s love and guarantees final salvation

⁶ This is all based on what the Messiah did: while we were still weak, at that very moment he died on behalf of the ungodly. ⁷ It’s a rare thing to find someone who will die on behalf of an upright person—though I suppose someone might be brave enough to die for a good person. ⁸ But this is how God demonstrates his own love for us: the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.

³⁵ Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he felt deeply sorry for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “There’s plenty of harvest to be had, but not many workers! ³⁸ So pray the master of the harvest to send more workers to harvest his fields!”

The Twelve are sent out

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles. First, Simon, who is called Peter (“the rock”), and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananaean; and Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him).

⁵ Jesus sent these Twelve off with the following instructions.

“Don’t go into Gentile territory,” he said, “and don’t go into a Samaritan town. ⁶ Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, declare publicly that the kingdom of heaven has arrived. ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse people with skin diseases, cast out demons.

“You received without cost; give without charge.

⁹ Don’t take any gold or silver or copper in your belts; ¹⁰ no bag for the road, no second cloak, no sandals, no stick. Workers deserve their keep.

¹¹ “When you go into a town or village, make careful inquiry for someone who is good and trustworthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹² When you go into the house give a solemn greeting. ¹³ If the house is trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it, but if not, let it return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone won’t welcome you or listen to your message, go out of the house or the town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ I’m telling you the truth: it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

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.”