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Chapter 10 -- There Were Twelve of Us

There were twelve of us disciples by this time. He called us together and gave us power to send away bad spirits and to heal all sickness and disease. Here are the names of all twelve us sent out that day: Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John sons of Zebedee, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and me--Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot.

Jesus sent us out with the following instructions:

1. Don't go far away, but go instead to those from among your own people who are like lost sheep.

2. As you go, preach, "The kingdom of heaven is here."

3. Heal sick people, cleanse lepers, raise dead people, send away devils. You've received these things freely, now give them freely.

4. Take no money or map, no extra clothes, shoes, or walking sticks, for the worker is worth what he eats.

5. Whatever city or town you enter, ask who is worthy and stay there until you leave that city.

6. When you enter a house, take note and if it is a worthy house, let your peaceful greeting stay there. If it is not a worthy house, let your peaceful greeting return to you.

7. Whoever will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave that house or city, just shake the dust off your feet. Sodom and Gomorrha will do better in the judgment than that city will.

8. I send you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. So be wise as serpents and sincere as doves. Beware, because people will turn you in as criminals and punish you publicly. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness against them.

9. When they turn you in, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; it will be given you on the spot. Actually, it is not you who speaks but God who speaks in you.

10. One brother will turn over another brother to death; a father will turn in a child. Children will turn against their parents for the death penalty. You will be hated by everyone because of me. Whoever endures to the end will be saved.

11. When they persecute you in one city, move to another. You have plenty of cities to keep you busy till the Son of man comes.

12. Rather than the disciple being above his master or the servant above his lord, it is quite enough that they be equal. If others have called the master "Beelzebub," what worse names can they call the disciples or servants?

13. Fear not those who call you names. All cover-ups will be exposed, all secrets discovered. What is heard in the night will be told in the light of day. What is whispered in the ear will be broadcast from the networks.

14. Fear not those who kill only the body and cannot touch the soul. Instead, pay attention to the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Who would pay even a few cents for a couple of sparrows? Yet one of them cannot fall without your Father knowing. As for you--even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. That's why I say Fear not--because you are of more value than many sparrows.

15. So whoever sticks up for me in front of humans I will stick up for before my Father in heaven, but whoever turns away from me in front of humans I will also turn away from before my Father in heaven.

16. Do not think my ideal is peace on earth right now. The results of my work will be not peace but fighting. What I do will set family members apart as different from one another, enemies in a person's own household. Anyone who loves peace in the family more than me does not understand me.

17. Another one who does not understand me is anyone who refuses the instrument of shameful death, the necessary means of following me. Whoever clings to life will lose it, but whoever lets go of life for my sake will find it.

18. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One who sent me. Whoever recognizes and receives a good person will receive a good person's reward. Whoever in following me fills the smallest physical need for a child or for a new follower of me will not fail to receive a reward.

This teaching session marked several changes in our relationships. From then on: (1) The twelve of us were officially considered to be Jesus' disciples. (2) We worked the crowds when Jesus was teaching and we worked the nearby cities when Jesus was on the move. (3) Thomas and I were paired to work as partners. I was glad to have someone with whome to bounce around ideas and clues, and I discovered in Thomas a deep and quiet reservation as he weighed the evidence. He would pass no judgment and make no commitment as to who this man we followed might be. I respected him then and still do respect his approach to the problem.