Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

1After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them before Him, by twos, to go to every town or place which He Himself intended to visit. 2And He addressed them thus: "The harvest is abundant, but the reapers are few: therefore entreat the Owner of the harvest to send out more reapers into His fields. And now go. 3Remember that I am sending you out as lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, bag, nor change of shoes; and salute no one on your way." 5"Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' 6And if there is a lover of peace there, your peace shall rest upon it; otherwise come back upon you. 7And in that same house stay, eating and drinking at their table; for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not move from one house to another. 8"And whatever town you come to and they receive you, eat what they put before you. 9Cure the sick in that town, and tell them, "'The Kingdom of God is now at your door.' 10"But whatever town you come to and they will not receive you, go out into the broader streets and say, 11"'The very dust of your town that hangs about us we wipe off as a protest. Only be sure of this, that the Kingdom of God is close at hand.' 12"I tell you that it will be more endurable for Sodom on the great day than for that town.

Woe to the Unrepentant

(Matthew 11:20-24)

13"Alas for thee, Chorazin! Alas for thee, Bethsaida! For had the miracles been performed in Tyre and Sidon which have been performed in you, long ere now they would have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14However, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more endurable at the Judgement than for you. 15And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be lifted high as Heaven? Thou shalt be driven down as low as Hades.

16"He who listens to you listens to me; and he who disregards you disregards me, and he who disregards me disregards Him who sent me."

The Seventy-Two Return with Joy

17When the Seventy returned, they exclaimed joyfully, "Master, even the demons submit to us when we utter your name." 18"I saw Satan fall like a lightning-flash out of Heaven," He replied. 19"I have given you power to tread serpents and scorpions underfoot, and to trample on all the power of the Enemy; and in no case shall anything do you harm. 20Nevertheless rejoice not at this, that the spirits submit to you; but rejoice that your names are registered in Heaven."

Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Matthew 11:25-30)

21On that same occasion Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit with rapturous joy. "I give Thee fervent thanks," He exclaimed, "O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from sages and men of understanding, and hast revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for such has been Thy gracious will. 22All things are delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is but the Father, nor who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son may choose to reveal Him."

23And He turned towards His disciples and said to them apart, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! 24For I tell you that many Prophets and kings have desired to see the things you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things you hear, and have not heard them."

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25Then an expounder of the Law stood up to test Him with a question. "Rabbi," he asked, "what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?" 26"Go to the Law," said Jesus; "what is written there? how does it read?" 27"'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'" he replied, "'with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole strength, and thy whole mind; and thy fellow man as much as thyself.'" 28"A right answer," said Jesus; "do that, and you shall live." 29But he, desiring to justify himself, said, "But what is meant by my 'fellow man'?"

30Jesus replied, "A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell among robbers, who after both stripping and beating him went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now a priest happened to be going down that way, and on seeing him passed by on the other side. 32In like manner a Levite also came to the place, and seeing him passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came where he lay, and seeing him was moved with pity. 34He went to him, and dressed his wounds with oil and wine and bound them up. Then placing him on his own mule he brought him to an inn, where he bestowed every care on him. 35The next day he took out two shillings and gave them to the innkeeper. "'Take care of him,' he said, 'and whatever further expense you are put to, I will repay it you at my next visit.' 36"Which of those three seems to you to have acted like a fellow man to him who fell among the robbers?" 37"The one who showed him pity," he replied. "Go," said Jesus, "and act in the same way."

Martha and Mary

38As they pursued their journey He came to a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed Him to her house. 39She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. 40Martha meanwhile was busy and distracted in waiting at table, and she came and said, "Master, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the waiting? Tell her to assist me." 41"Martha, Martha," replied Jesus, "you are anxious and worried about a multitude of things; 42and yet only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and she shall not be deprived of it."