Genesis 18:1-15
The Lord appeared to
Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat
of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them,
he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He
said, ‘My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a
little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you
may pass on—since you have come to your servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as you have
said.’ And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Make ready
quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.’ Abraham ran
to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who
hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had
prepared, and set it before them;
and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’
Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah
shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now
Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah
after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have
grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The Lord said to
Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I
am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return
to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied, saying, ‘I
did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’
Matthew 9:35-10:8 [9-23]
Then
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every
sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his
disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These
are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his
brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and
Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and
Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus
sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and
enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come
near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You
received without payment; give without payment.[ Take no gold, or silver, or
copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a
staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find
out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house,
greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not
worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen
to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or
town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and
Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as
serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to
councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before
governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When
they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to
say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not
you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will
betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against
parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my
name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you
in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone
through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.]