The Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3.13-19Luke 6.12-16)1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Patriot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
The Mission of the Twelve
(Mark 6.7-13Luke 9.1-6)5 These twelve men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: “Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. 6 Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. 7 Go and preach, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is near!’ 8 Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. You have received without paying, so give without being paid. 9 Do not carry any gold, silver, or copper money in your pockets; 10 do not carry a beggar's bag for the trip or an extra shirt or shoes or a walking stick. Workers should be given what they need.
11 “When you come to a town or village, go in and look for someone who is willing to welcome you, and stay with him until you leave that place. 12 When you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13 If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting. 14 And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. 15 I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than to the people of that town!
Coming Persecutions
(Mark 13.9-13Luke 21.12-17)16 “Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves. 17 Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues. 18 For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles. 19 When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say. 20 For the words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 22 Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, run away to another one. I assure you that you will not finish your work in all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “No pupil is greater than his teacher; no slave is greater than his master. 25 So a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and a slave like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names!
Whom to Fear
(Luke 12.2-7)26 “So do not be afraid of people. Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. 27 What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. 30 As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!
Confessing and Rejecting Christ
(Luke 12.8Luke 9)32 “Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven. 33 But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
(Luke 12.51-53Luke 14.26Luke 27)34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law; 36 your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.
37 “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples. 38 Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples. 39 Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.
Rewards
(Mark 9.41)40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes God's messenger because he is God's messenger, will share in his reward. And whoever welcomes a good man because he is good, will share in his reward. 42 You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these my followers because he is my follower, will certainly receive a reward.”
Divpadsmit mācekļi
(Mk 3:13–19Lk 6:12–16)1 Jēzus, pieaicinājis savus divpadsmit mācekļus, deva viņiem varu izdzīt nešķīstos garus un dziedināt no visām slimībām un kaitēm. 2 Bet divpadsmit apustuļu vārdi ir šādi: vispirms – Sīmanis, saukts Pēteris, un viņa brālis Andrejs; tad Jēkabs, Zebedeja dēls, un viņa brālis Jānis, 3 Filips un Bartolomejs, Toms un muitnieks Matejs, Jēkabs, Alfeja dēls, un Tadejs, 4 kanaānietis Sīmanis un Jūda Iskariots, kas viņu nodeva.
Norādījumi divpadsmit mācekļiem
(Mk 6:6b–13Lk 9:1–6)5 Šos divpadsmit Jēzus sūtīja, tiem pavēlēdams: “Neejiet uz pagānu pusi un samariešu pilsētās, 6 bet ejiet labāk pie Israēla nama pazudušajām avīm. 7 Ejiet un sludiniet: Debesu valstība ir klāt. 8 Dziediniet slimus, uzceliet mirušus, šķīstiet spitālīgus, izdzeniet dēmonus; bez maksas jūs esat saņēmuši, bez maksas dodiet. 9 Neņemiet sev nedz sudrabu, nedz zeltu, nedz vara naudu savās jostās, 10 nedz somu ceļā, nedz divi svārkus, nedz apavus, nedz spieķi; jo strādnieks savu iztiku ir cienīgs saņemt. 11 Un, kurā pilsētā vai ciemā jūs ieiesiet, tur izjautājiet, kurš tajā ir cienīgs; pie tā arī palieciet, kamēr aiziesiet. 12 Namā iegājuši, sveiciniet to; 13 un, ja šis nams ir cienīgs, jūsu miers nāks pār to, bet, ja nav cienīgs, lai jūsu miers atgriežas pie jums. 14 Ja kāds jūs neuzņem un neuzklausa jūsu vārdus, iedami ārā no šī nama vai šīs pilsētas, nokratiet putekļus no savām kājām. 15 Patiesi es jums saku: Sodomas un Gomoras zemei tiesas dienā būs vieglāk nekā šai pilsētai.
Mācekļi tiks vajāti
(Mk 13:9–13Lk 21:12–17)16 Redzi, es jūs sūtu kā avis vilku vidū, tad nu esiet gudri kā čūskas un bez viltus kā baloži. 17 Bet piesargieties no cilvēkiem, jo tie jūs nodos sinedrijam un šaustīs savās sinagogās; 18 un jūs vedīs manis dēļ valdnieku un ķēniņu priekšā – viņiem un pagāniem par liecību. 19 Bet, kad tie jūs nodos, neuztraucieties, kā un ko jūs runāsiet, jo tajā pašā brīdī jums tiks dots, kas jāsaka, 20 jo jūs nebūsiet tie, kas runā, bet jūsu Tēva Gars jūsos runās. 21 Brālis brāli nodos nāvei un tēvs – bērnu, un bērni sacelsies pret vecākiem un tos nonāvēs. 22 Visi jūs nicinās mana vārda dēļ, bet, kas pastāvēs līdz galam, tas tiks izglābts. 23 Kad jūs vajās vienā pilsētā, bēdziet uz citu; patiesi es jums saku: jūs nebūsiet vēl apstaigājuši Israēla pilsētas, kad Cilvēka Dēls jau nāks. 24 Māceklis nav pārāks par savu skolotāju, nedz kalps augstāks par savu kungu. 25 Pietiek, ja māceklis top kā viņa skolotājs un kalps kā viņa kungs. Ja nama saimnieks tiek saukts par Belcebulu, tad vēl jo vairāk viņa ļaudis.
Nebīstieties!
(Lk 12:2–9)26 Bet nebīstieties no tiem, jo nav nekā aizsegta, kas netiktu atklāts, un nekā slepena, kas nekļūtu zināms. 27 Ko es jums runāju tumsā, to sakiet gaismā, un, kas teikts jūsu ausī, to pasludiniet no namu jumtiem. 28 Nebīstieties no tiem, kas miesu nonāvē, bet dvēseli nespēj nonāvēt, bīstieties vairāk no tā, kas dvēseli un miesu var pazudināt ellē. 29 Vai divus zvirbuļus nepārdod par nieka grasi? Un neviens no tiem nekrīt zemē bez jūsu Tēva ziņas. 30 Bet jums pat visi mati uz galvas ir saskaitīti. 31 Tādēļ nebīstieties, jūs esat vērtīgāki nekā daudzi zvirbuļi. 32 Tad nu ikvienu, kas mani apliecinās cilvēku priekšā, arī es apliecināšu sava debesu Tēva priekšā. 33 Bet, kas mani noliegs cilvēku priekšā, to arī es noliegšu sava debesu Tēva priekšā.
Ne mieru, bet zobenu
(Lk 12:51–53Lk 14:26–27)34 Nedomājiet, ka es esmu nācis mieru atnest virs zemes; es neesmu nācis atnest mieru, bet zobenu! 35 Jo es esmu nācis cilvēku sanaidot ar viņa tēvu, meitu ar viņas māti un vedeklu ar viņas vīramāti; 36 un cilvēka tuvinieki būs viņa ienaidnieki. 37 Kas tēvu vai māti mīl vairāk nekā mani, tas nav manis cienīgs; kas dēlu vai meitu mīl vairāk nekā mani, arī nav manis cienīgs. 38 Kas neņem savu krustu un neseko man, tas nav manis cienīgs. 39 Kas savu dzīvību atrod, tas to zaudēs, bet, kas savu dzīvību zaudēs manis dēļ, tas to atradīs.
Kā uzņemt Jēzus mācekļus
(Mk 9:41)40 Kas jūs uzņem, tas uzņem mani, un, kas mani uzņem, tas uzņem to, kas mani sūtījis. 41 Kas uzņem pravieti pravieša vārdā, tas saņems pravieša algu; kas uzņem taisno taisnā vārdā, tas saņems taisnā algu. 42 Un, kas padzirdīs vienu no šiem vismazākajiem ar biķeri auksta ūdens vien tādēļ, ka to sauc māceklis, tam viņa alga nezudīs.”
