Daily Bible Reading
Day 115
Today's reading: Matthew 10-12
Look for the promises in God’s word. As you read and find them, write them in your journal along with the scripture reference.
Matthew 10
Sending Out the Twelve Apostles
1. Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness.
2. Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother;
3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4. Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5. Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: “Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan town.
6. Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’
8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
9. Do not take gold, silver, or copper in your belts,
10. no bag for the journey, or an extra tunic, or sandals or staff, for the worker deserves his provisions.
11. Whenever you enter a town or village, find out who is worthy there and stay with them until you leave.
12. As you enter the house, give it greetings.
13. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14. And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or that town.
15. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!
Persecution of Disciples
16. “I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
17. Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues.
18. And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.
19. Whenever they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, for what you should say will be given to you at that time.
20. For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21. “Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death.
22. And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
23. Whenever they persecute you in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24. “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave greater than his master.
25. It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!
Fear God, Not Man
26. “Do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known.
27. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
28. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
30. Even all the hairs on your head are numbered.
31. So do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32. “Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33. But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
35. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
36. and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
37. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
Rewards
40. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
41. Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
42. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.”
Matthew 11
1. When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
Jesus and John the Baptist
2. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds Christ had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question:
3. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
4. Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see:
5. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.
6. Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
7. While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8. What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings!
9. What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
11. “I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.
12. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.
13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared.
14. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come.
15. The one who has ears had better listen!
16. “To what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another,
17. ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.’
18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Woes on Unrepentant Cities
20. Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent.
21. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you!
23. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades! For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day.
24. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”
Jesus’ Invitation
25. At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.
26. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.
27. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.
28. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
Matthew 12
Lord of the Sabbath
1. At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat and eat them.
2. But when the Pharisees saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.”
3. He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry –
4. how he entered the house of God and they ate the sacred bread, which was against the law for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?
5. Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?
6. I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
7. If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
8. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
9. Then Jesus left that place and entered their synagogue.
10. A man was there who had a withered hand. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” so that they could accuse him.
11. He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out?
12. How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and it was restored, as healthy as the other.
14. But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, as to how they could assassinate him.
God’s Special Servant
15. Now when Jesus learned of this, he went away from there. Great crowds followed him, and he healed them all.
16. But he sternly warned them not to make him known.
17. This fulfilled what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet:
18. “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I take great delight. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19. He will not quarrel or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20. He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick, until he brings justice to victory.
21. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Jesus and Beelzebul
22. Then they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Jesus healed him so that he could speak and see.
23. All the crowds were amazed and said, “Could this one be the Son of David?”
24. But when the Pharisees heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!”
25. Now when Jesus realized what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.
26. So if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
28. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has already overtaken you.
29. How else can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house.
30. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31. For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Trees and Their Fruit
33. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.
34. Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.
35. The good person brings good things out of his good treasury, and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury.
36. I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.
37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38. Then some of the experts in the law along with some Pharisees answered him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39. But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
41. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them – and now, something greater than Jonah is here!
42. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, something greater than Solomon is here!
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
43. “When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but does not find it.
44. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order.
45. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
Jesus’ True Family
46. While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside, asking to speak to him.
47. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.”
48. To the one who had said this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”
49. And pointing toward his disciples he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
50. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”