Luke 9:51-10:12

Contemporary English Version

A Samaritan Village Refuses To Receive Jesus

⁵¹Not long before it was time for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. ⁵²He sent some messengers on ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. ⁵³But he was on his way to Jerusalem, so the people there refused to welcome him. ⁵⁴^(A) When the disciples James and John saw what was happening, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these people?”^[a]

⁵⁵But Jesus turned and corrected them for what they had said.^[b] ⁵⁶Then they all went on to another village.

Three People Who Wanted To Be Followers

(Matthew 8.19-22)

⁵⁷Along the way someone said to Jesus, “I'll follow you anywhere!”

⁵⁸Jesus said, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have a place to call his own.”

⁵⁹Jesus told someone else to come with him. But the man said, “Lord, let me wait until I bury my father.”^[c]

⁶⁰Jesus answered, “Let the dead take care of the dead, while you go and tell about God's kingdom.”

⁶¹^(B) Then someone said to Jesus, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and take care of things at home.”

⁶²Jesus answered, “Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!”

The Work of the Seventy-Two Followers

10 Later the Lord chose 72^[d] other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. ²^(C) He said to them:

A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. ³^(D) Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. ⁴^(E) Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't waste time greeting people on the road.^[e] ⁵As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” ⁶If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. ⁷^(F) Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house.

⁸If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. ⁹Heal their sick and say, “God's kingdom will soon be here!”^[f]

¹⁰^(G) But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, ¹¹“We are shaking the dust from our feet^[g] as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here!”^[h] ¹²^(H) I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town!

Footnotes

9.54 to destroy these people: Some manuscripts add “as Elijah did.”
9.55 what they had said: Some manuscripts add, “and said, ‘Don't you know what spirit you belong to? The Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them.’ ”
9.59 bury my father: The Jewish people taught that giving someone a proper burial was even more important than helping the poor.
10.1 72: Some manuscripts have “70.” According to Jewish tradition, there were 70 nations on earth. But the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament has “72” in place of “70.” Jesus probably chose this number of followers to show that his message was for everyone in the world.
10.4 waste time greeting people on the road: In those days a polite greeting could take a long time.
10.9 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”
10.11 shaking the dust from our feet: This was a way of showing rejection.
10.11 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”