Matthew 10

The Twelve Sent Out

1Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, who also handed Jesus over.

5Jesus sent out these twelve and instructed them: “Do not go onto a road of the Gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town. 6Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has drawn near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and cast out demons. You received freely; give freely. 9Do not acquire gold, silver, or copper for your belts, 10no bag for the journey, no second tunic, sandals, or staff, because the worker deserves food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who there is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12When you enter a house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that house or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Witness Under Persecution

16“Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as snakes and innocent as doves. 17Be on guard against people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not be anxious about how or what you should speak, because what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will certainly not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Fear God, Not People

24“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above the master. 25It is enough for the disciple to become like the teacher and the servant like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26Therefore do not be afraid of them, because nothing is covered that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not become known. 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the life. Fear instead the one who can destroy both life and body in Gehenna. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father. 30Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

Confessing Jesus

32“Therefore everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

The Cost of Allegiance

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36and a person's enemies will be members of their own household.’ 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life because of me will find it.

Receiving the Sent Ones

40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet because they are a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person because they are righteous will receive a righteous person's reward. 42And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because they are a disciple—truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”