The Words of Jesus Christ Page 124 Vocation (cont'd) General Discourses Instructions to The Twelve
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PAGE 124
13 VOCATION (cont'd)
Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any
city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely ye
received, freely give. Get you no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses;
no wallet for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the
labourer is worthy of his food. And into whatsoever city or village ye shall
enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide until ye go forth. And
as ye enter into the house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your
peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And
whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of
that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto
you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day
of judgement, than for that city.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise
as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver
you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; yea and
before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to
them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or
what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall
speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that
speaketh in you. And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father
his child: and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be
put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that
endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. But when they persecute you in
this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have
gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
A disciple is not above his master, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough
for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If
they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they
call them of his household! Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing
covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I
tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear,
proclaim upon the housetops. And be not afraid of them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to
destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father: but the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore; ye are of more value
than many sparrows. Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him
will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall
deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace,
but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law: and a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that doth not take his cross
and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose
it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him
that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall
receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name
of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall
give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the
name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his
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For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count
the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it? Lest haply, when he hath
laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock
him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what
king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first
and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh
against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way
off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace. So therefore
whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple. Salt therefore is good: but if even the salt have lost its savour,
wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land nor for the
dunghill: men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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