After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on
ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he
himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go
your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of
wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no
one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to
this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest
upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same
house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer
deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you
enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal
the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near
to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you,
go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that
clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this,
that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more
bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty
works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have
repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be
more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And
you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought
down to Hades.
“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you
rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons
are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan
fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority
to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in
this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your
names are written in heaven.”
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I
thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden
these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to
little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All
things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows
who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the
Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the
eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and
kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear
what you hear, and did not hear it.”
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him,
“What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and
your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered
correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is
my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem
to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat
him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was
going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other
side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him,
passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came
to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to
him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set
him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of
him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the
innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend,
I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you
think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the
robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said
to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a
woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a
sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his
teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went
up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left
me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered
her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many
things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good
portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
