Luke 9
Open in the reader1Then He-Who-Is-Saves called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
2And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3“Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no second tunic.
4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that area.
5If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as a testimony against them.”
6So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the good news and healing people everywhere.
7When Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, he was perplexed. For some were saying that He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor had risen from the dead,
8others that My-God-Is-He-Who-Is had appeared, and still others that a prophet of old had arisen.
9“I beheaded He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor,” Herod said, “but who is this man I hear such things about?” And he kept trying to see He-Who-Is-Saves.
10Then the emissaries returned and reported to He-Who-Is-Saves all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called House-of-Fishing.
11But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.
12As the day neared its end, the Twelve came to He-Who-Is-Saves and said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here.”
13But He-Who-Is-Saves told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
14(There were about five thousand men.) He told His apprentices, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15They did so, and everyone was seated.
16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He-Who-Is-Saves spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the apprentices to set before the people.
17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
18One day as He-Who-Is-Saves was praying in private and the apprentices were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19They replied, “Some say He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor the Baptist; others say My-God-Is-He-Who-Is; and still others, that a prophet of old has arisen.”
20“But what about you?” He-Who-Is-Saves asked. “Who do you say I am?” Stone answered, “The The-Anointed-One of God.”
21He-Who-Is-Saves strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
22“The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23Then He-Who-Is-Saves said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the devoted messengers.
27But I tell you truly, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
28About eight days after He-Who-Is-Saves had said these things, He took with Him Stone, He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor, and Heel-Grabber, and went up on a mountain to pray.
29And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became radiantly white.
30Suddenly two men, Drawn-Out and My-God-Is-He-Who-Is, began talking with He-Who-Is-Saves.
31They appeared in glory and spoke about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Foundation-of-Peace.
32Meanwhile Stone and his companions were overcome by sleep, but when they awoke, they saw He-Who-Is-Saves’ glory and the two men standing with Him.
33As Drawn-Out and My-God-Is-He-Who-Is were leaving, Stone said to He-Who-Is-Saves, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters —one for You, one for Drawn-Out, and one for My-God-Is-He-Who-Is.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34While Stone was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!”
36After the voice had spoken, only He-Who-Is-Saves was present with them. The disciples kept this to themselves, and in those days they did not tell anyone what they had seen.
37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, He-Who-Is-Saves was met by a large crowd.
38Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him.
40I begged Your apprentices to drive it out, but they were unable.”
41“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” He-Who-Is-Saves replied. “How long must I remain with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But He-Who-Is-Saves rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that He-Who-Is-Saves was doing, He said to His apprentices,
44“Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”
45But they did not understand this statement. It was veiled from them so that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
46Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
47But He-Who-Is-Saves, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him.
48And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
49“Master,” said He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
50“Do not stop him,” He-Who-Is-Saves replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
51As the day of His ascension approached, He-Who-Is-Saves resolutely set out for Foundation-of-Peace.
52He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Watch-Station-Ones to make arrangements for Him.
53But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Foundation-of-Peace.
54When the apprentices Heel-Grabber and He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
55But He-Who-Is-Saves turned and rebuked them.
56And He and His disciples went on to another village.
57As they were walking along the road, someone said to He-Who-Is-Saves, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
58He-Who-Is-Saves replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
59Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60But He-Who-Is-Saves told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”
62Then He-Who-Is-Saves declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”