Gospel for Today

From The Second Testament, shipping this week!

Yēsous re-described: Repeating the summary (cf. 4:23‑25)

Yēsous was leading around all the cities and villages, teaching in their assembly halls, announcing the gospel about the Empire, and healing every illness and every malady.

Yēsous spots the problem: Pastoral abuse

Seeing the crowds, he empathized with them because they were—as sheep not having a shepherd—disturbed and dejected. Then he says to his Apprentices: “The harvest is great, the workers are few. Therefore, plead to the harvest’s Lord that he toss out workers into his harvest.”

Yēsous commissions

Calling his twelve Apprentices, he gave them authority over contaminating spirits so they could toss them out and heal every illness and every malady.

These are the names of the twelve Commissioners:

first, Simōn—who is called Petros [Peter]—and Andreas [Andrew], his brother; Yakōbos [James]—who is from Zebedaios [Zebedee]—and Yōannēs [John], his brother; Philippos [Philip] and Bar-Tholomaios [Bartholomew]; Thōmas and Matthaios [Matthew]—the tax agent; Yakōbos—who is from Halphaios [Alphaeus]—and Thaddaios [Thaddaeus]; Simōn Kananaios [Simon the Canaanite] and Youdas the Dagger Man [Judas Iscariot], the one who gave him over.

Yēsous commissioned these twelve, ordering them, saying,

“Don’t go out on the path to the ethnic groups and don’t enter into a city of the Samaritōn [Samaritans]. Instead, journey to the sheep—the destroyed ones—of Yisraēl’s [Israel’s] house. Journeying, announce, saying that ‘The Heavens’ Empire has come close.’

Heal the weak,
Raise the dead,
Clean the scaly,
Toss out demons.
You received as a gift, give as a gift.
Don’t acquire gold or silver or bronze in your belts, nor a bag for the path,
nor two shirts,
nor sandals,
nor a walking stick.

The worker deserves one’s provision.