And as all were wondering over all the things he was doing, he said to his disciples: Store these words in your ears; for the son of man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they might not be aware of it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. But there arose a dispute among them as to which was the greater; and Jesus, knowing the disputation of their hearts, took a child and set him beside himself and said to them: He who accepts this child in my name accepts me, and he who accepts me accepts him who sent me. For he who is smaller among you all, that one is great.
And John spoke forth and said: Master, we saw a man driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not one of our following. Jesus said to him: Do not stop him; for he who is not against you is for you.
And it happened in the filling out of the days before his assumption, that he himself set his face toward the journey to Jerusalem and also that he sent messengers out before his presence. And they on their journey entered a village of the Samaritans, to make things ready for him. And they would not receive him, because his face was set on the journey to Jerusalem. And learning of this the disciples James and John said: Lord, do you wish us to summon fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But Jesus turned on them and reproved them. And they went to another village.
And as they journeyed along the way, a man said to him: I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him: Foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head. And he said to another: Follow me. But the man said: Give me leave first to go and bury my father. But he said to him: Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God. And another man said: I will follow you, Lord; but first allow me to take leave of the people in my house. But Jesus said to him: No one who has put his hand to the plow and then looked back is fit for the Kingdom of God.
fl After this the Lord appointed seventy other men and sent them out two by two before his presence to every city and place where he was going to go. And he said to them: The harvest is abundant, but the laborers few. Beg the master of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest. Go forth. See, I send you out like sheep into the midst of wolves. Take no purse, no bag, no shoes, and greet no one on the road. Whenever you enter any house, say: Peace to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace will stay with him; and if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not move about from house to house. And when you go into any city, and they receive you, eat what is put before you, and treat the sick who are there, and say to them: The Kingdom of God has come near you. But when you go into any city and they do not receive you, as you go into the open places of that city say: Even the dust of your city which has stuck to our feet we wipe off, against you. Only know this, that the Kingdom of God is near. I tell you that on the Day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that city. Woe, to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if there had been shown in Tyre and Sidon the powers that have been shown among you, long since they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But for Tyre and Sidon it will be more tolerable at the judgment than it will be for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to the sky? You will go down to Hades.
He who listens to you listens to me, and he who rejects you rejects me. And he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.
And the seventy returned in joy, saying: Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name. He said to them: I saw Satan falling from the sky like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and against every power of the enemy, and nothing can injure you. Except do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
In that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: I thank you, father lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things away from the clever and the understanding, and revealed them to the simple. Yes, father, that thus it has been your pleasure in your sight. All was given to me by my father, and no one knows who is the son except the father, and who is the father except the son and anyone to whom the son wishes to reveal it. And he turned to the disciples and said to them alone: Blessed are the eyes that have seen what you have seen. For I tell you that many prophets and kings have wished to see what you have seen, and have not seen it, and to hear what you have heard and have not heard it.
And behold, a man versed in the law stood up, making trial of him and saying: Master, what shall I do to inherit everlasting life? He said to him: What is written in the law? How do you read it? The man answered and said: You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart and in all your spirit and in all your strength and in all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. He said to him: You have answered right. Do this and you will live. But the man, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbor? Jesus answered and said: There was a man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell in with robbers who stripped him and beat him and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest went down that road, and when he saw him passed by on the other side; and so likewise a Levite coming to the place and seeing him passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan came there on his journey, and when he saw him he pitied him, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and set him on his own beast and took him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the next day he put out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said: Take care of him, and any extra expense you have I will repay you on my return journey. Which of these three do you think was the neighbor of the man who fell among robbers? He said: The man who treated him with mercy. Jesus said to him: Go on, you also, and do likewise.
And it happened on their journey that he came to a certain village; and there was a woman, Martha by name, who took him into her house. And she had a sister named Mary who sat at the feet of the Lord and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she stood near him and said: Lord, does it not matter to you that my sister has left me to serve all by myself? Tell her to help me. But the Lord answered and said to her: Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled over much, but there is need of few things, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.
(l And it happened that while he was praying in a certain place, when he stopped, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. He said to them: When you pray, say: Father, may your name be hallowed. May your kingdom come. Give us our sufficient bread day by day; and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is our debtor. And do not bring us into temptation.
And he said to them: Which of you will have a friend and go to him in the middle of the night and say to him: My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend has come in from the road to visit me and I have nothing to set before him? And he answers from inside and says: Stop making difficulties for me. Now the door is locked, and my children are in bed with me. I cannot get up and give it to you. I tell you, if he will not get up and give it to the man because he is his friend, he will wake up and give him what he needs because of his insistence. And I tell you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and for him who knocks the door is opened. Or who is there among you whose son will ask his father for a fish, and he will give him a snake? Or ask for an egg, and will give him a scorpion? If then you, who are corrupt, know how to give good gifts to your children, by how much more your father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.