9Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases.G1161G4779G846G1427G3101G4779G2532G1325G846G1411G1849G1909G3956G1140G2532G2323G35542He commissioned them to preach the news of God's kingdom and heal the sick.G2532G649G846G2784G932G2316G2532G2390G7703He said, "Don't load yourselves up with equipment.G2532G2036G4314G846G142G3367G1519G3598G3383G4464G3383G4082G3383G740G3383G694G3383G2192G1417G5509G3034Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns—get a modest place and be content there until you leave.G2532G3739G302G3614G1525G1519G1563G3306G2532G1564G18315If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on."G2532G3745G302G1209G3361G1209G5209G1831G575G1565G4172G660G2532G2868G575G5216G4228G1519G3142G1909G8466Commissioned, they left. They traveled from town to town telling the latest news of God, the Message, and curing people everywhere they went.G1161G1831G1330G2596G2968G2097G2532G2323G38377Herod, the ruler, heard of these goings on and didn't know what to think. There were people saying John had come back from the dead,G1161G2264G5076G191G3956G1096G5259G846G2532G1280G1223G3004G5259G5100G3754G2491G1453G1537G34988others that Elijah had appeared, still others that some prophet of long ago had shown up.G1161G5259G5100G3754G2243G5316G1161G243G3754G1520G744G4396G4509Herod said, "But I killed John—took off his head. So who is this that I keep hearing about?" Curious, he looked for a chance to see him in action.G2532G2264G2036G2491G607G1473G607G1161G5101G2076G3778G4012G3739G1473G191G5108G2532G2212G1492G84610The apostles returned and reported on what they had done. Jesus took them away, off by themselves, near the town called Bethsaida.G2532G652G5290G1334G846G3745G4160G2532G3880G846G5298G2596G2398G1519G2048G5117G4172G2564G96611But the crowds got wind of it and followed. Jesus graciously welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God. Those who needed healing, he healed.G1161G3793G1097G190G846G2532G1209G846G2980G846G4012G932G2316G2532G2390G2192G5532G232212As the day declined, the Twelve said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of nowhere."G1161G2250G756G2827G1161G4334G1427G2036G846G630G3793G630G2443G565G1519G2968G2532G68G2945G2647G2532G2147G1979G3754G2070G5602G1722G2048G511713"You feed them," Jesus said. They said, "We couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fish—unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody."G1161G2036G4314G846G1325G5210G846G5315G1161G2036G2254G3756G1526G4119G2228G4002G740G2532G1417G2486G1509G2249G4198G59G1033G1519G3956G5126G299214(There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.) But he went ahead and directed his disciples, "Sit them down in groups of about fifty."G1063G2258G5616G4000G435G1161G2036G4314G846G3101G2625G846G2625G303G4004G282815They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated.G2532G4160G3779G2532G347G537G34716He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd.G1161G2983G4002G740G2532G1417G2486G308G1519G3772G2127G846G2532G2622G2532G1325G3101G3908G379317After the people had all eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.G2532G5315G2532G5526G3956G5526G2532G142G2801G4052G846G1427G289418One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, "What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?"G2532G1096G1722G1511G2651G4336G846G3101G4895G846G2532G1905G846G3004G5101G3004G3793G3165G151119They said, "John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back."G1161G611G2036G2491G910G1161G243G2243G1161G243G3754G5100G744G4396G45020He then asked, "And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."G1161G2036G846G1161G5101G3004G5210G3165G1511G1161G4074G611G2036G5547G231621Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said.G1161G2008G846G3853G2036G3367G512422He went on, "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive."G2036G3754G5207G444G1163G3958G4183G2532G593G575G4245G2532G749G2532G1122G2532G615G2532G1453G5154G225023Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how.G1161G3004G4314G3956G1536G2309G2064G3694G3450G533G1438G2532G142G846G4716G2250G2596G2532G190G342724Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.G1063G3739G302G2309G4982G846G5590G622G846G1161G3739G302G622G846G5590G1700G1752G3778G4982G84625What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?G1063G5101G5623G444G5623G2770G3650G2889G1161G622G1438G2228G221026If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I'm leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn't, you realize, pie in the sky by and by.G1063G3739G302G1870G3165G2532G1699G3056G5126G1870G5207G444G1870G3752G2064G1722G846G1391G2532G3962G2532G40G3227Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God."G1161G3004G5213G230G1526G5100G2476G5602G3739G1089G3364G1089G2288G2193G302G1492G932G231628About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along.G1161G1096G5616G3638G2250G3326G5128G3056G2532G3880G4074G2532G2491G2532G2385G305G1519G3735G433629While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white.G2532G1722G846G4336G1491G846G4383G1096G2087G2532G846G2441G3022G182330At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—G2532G2400G4814G846G1417G435G3748G2258G3475G2532G224331and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.G3739G3700G1722G1391G3004G846G1841G3739G3195G4137G1722G241932Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him.G1161G4074G2532G4862G846G2258G916G5258G1161G1235G1492G846G1391G2532G1417G435G4921G84633When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He blurted this out without thinking.G2532G1096G1722G846G1316G575G846G4074G2036G4314G2424G1988G2076G2570G2248G1511G5602G2532G4160G5140G4633G3391G4671G2532G3391G3475G2532G3391G2243G3361G1492G3739G300434While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God.G1161G846G5023G3004G1096G3507G2532G1982G846G1161G5399G1722G1565G1525G1519G350735Then there was a voice out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him."G2532G1096G5456G1537G3507G3004G3778G2076G3450G27G5207G191G84636When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.G2532G5456G1722G1096G2424G2147G3441G2532G846G4601G2532G518G3762G1722G1565G2250G3762G3739G370837When they came down off the mountain the next day, a big crowd was there to meet them.G1161G1096G1722G1836G2250G846G2718G575G3735G4183G3793G4876G84638A man called from out of the crowd, "Please, please, Teacher, take a look at my son. He's my only child.G2532G2400G435G575G3793G310G3004G1320G1189G4675G1914G1909G3450G5207G3754G2076G3427G343939Often a spirit seizes him. Suddenly he's screaming, thrown into convulsions, his mouth foaming. And then it beats him black and blue before it leaves.G2532G2400G4151G2983G846G2532G1810G2896G2532G4682G846G876G3326G2532G4937G846G3425G672G575G84640I asked your disciples to deliver him but they couldn't."G2532G1189G4675G3101G2443G1544G846G1544G2532G1410G375641Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring your son here."G1161G2424G611G2036G5599G571G2532G1294G1074G2193G4219G2071G4314G5209G2532G430G5216G4317G4675G5207G560242While he was coming, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. Jesus stepped in, ordered the vile spirit gone, healed the boy, and handed him back to his father.G1161G846G4334G2089G4334G1140G4486G846G4486G2532G4952G1161G2424G2008G169G4151G2532G2390G3816G2532G591G846G591G846G396243They all shook their heads in wonder, astonished at God's greatness, God's majestic greatness. While they continued to stand around exclaiming over all the things he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,G1161G1605G3956G1605G1909G3168G2316G1161G2296G3956G1909G3956G3739G2424G4160G2036G4314G846G310144"Treasure and ponder each of these next words: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into human hands."G5128G3056G5087G1519G5210G5216G3775G1063G5207G444G3195G3860G1519G5495G44445They didn't get what he was saying. It was like he was speaking a foreign language and they couldn't make heads or tails of it. But they were embarrassed to ask him what he meant.G1161G50G5124G4487G2532G2258G3871G575G846G3363G143G846G3363G2532G5399G2065G846G4012G5127G448746They started arguing over which of them would be most famous.G1161G1525G1261G1722G846G5101G302G846G1498G318747When Jesus realized how much this mattered to them, he brought a child to his side.G1161G2424G1492G1261G846G2588G1949G3813G2476G846G3844G143848"Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me," he said. "And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference."G2532G2036G846G3739G1437G1209G5124G3813G1909G3450G3686G1209G1691G2532G3739G1437G1209G1691G1209G649G3165G1063G5225G3398G1722G5213G3956G3778G2071G317349John spoke up, "Master, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't of our group."G1161G2491G611G2036G1988G1492G5100G1544G1140G1909G4675G3686G2532G2967G846G3754G190G3756G3326G225750Jesus said, "Don't stop him. If he's not an enemy, he's an ally."G2532G2424G2036G4314G846G2967G3361G1063G3739G2076G3756G2596G2257G2076G5228G225751When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem.G1161G1096G1722G2250G4845G846G354G2532G846G4741G846G4383G4198G1519G241952He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality.G2532G649G32G4253G846G4383G2532G4198G1525G1519G2968G4541G5620G2090G84653But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality.G2532G1209G3756G1209G846G3754G846G4383G2258G4198G1519G241954When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, "Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?"G1161G846G3101G2385G2532G2491G1492G2036G2962G2309G2036G4442G2597G575G3772G2532G355G846G2532G5613G2243G416055Jesus turned on them: "Of course not!"G1161G4762G2008G846G2532G2036G1492G3756G3634G4151G5210G207556And they traveled on to another village.G1063G5207G444G2064G3756G2064G622G444G5590G235G4982G2532G4198G1519G2087G296857On the road someone asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said.G1161G1096G846G4198G1722G3598G5100G2036G4314G846G2962G190G4671G3699G302G56558Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know."G2532G2424G2036G846G258G2192G5454G2532G4071G3772G2682G1161G5207G444G2192G3756G4226G2827G277659Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral."G1161G2036G4314G2087G190G3427G1161G2036G2962G2010G3427G4412G565G2290G3450G396260Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!"G1161G2424G2036G846G863G3498G2290G1438G3498G1161G565G4771G1229G932G231661Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home."G1161G2087G2532G2036G2962G190G4671G1161G2010G3427G4412G657G1519G3450G362462Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."G1161G2424G2036G4314G846G3762G1911G846G5495G1909G723G2532G991G1519G3694G2076G2111G1519G932G2316
Dublin, OH
