Luke 9:1-27

Jesus called together the 12 disciples. He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to heal sicknesses. Then he sent them out to announce God’s kingdom and to heal those who were sick. He told them, “Don’t take anything for the journey. Do not take a walking stick or a bag. Do not take any bread, money or extra clothes. When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. Some people may not welcome you. If they don’t, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet. This will be a witness against the people living there.” So the 12 disciples left. They went from village to village. They announced the good news and healed people everywhere. Now Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything that was going on. He was bewildered, because some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Others were saying that Elijah had appeared. Still others were saying that a prophet of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, “I had John’s head cut off. So who is it that I hear such things about?” And he tried to see Jesus. The disciples returned. They told Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him. They went off by themselves to a town called Bethsaida. But the crowds learned about it and followed Jesus. He welcomed them and spoke to them about God’s kingdom. He also healed those who needed to be healed. Late in the afternoon the 12 disciples came to him. They said, “Send the crowd away. They can go to the nearby villages and countryside. There they can find food and a place to stay. There is nothing here.” Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. We would have to go and buy food for all this crowd.” About 5,000 men were there. But Jesus said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each.” The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke them into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples to give to the people. All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces. One day Jesus was praying alone. Only his disciples were with him. He asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead.” Then he said to all of them, “Whoever wants to follow me must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross every day and follow me. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up their very self? Suppose someone is ashamed of me and my words. The Son of Man will come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Then he will be ashamed of that person. “What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom.”