Thursday, July 10, 2025 | Matthew 10:7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles:"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.But beware of men,for they will hand you over to courtsand scourge you in their synagogues,and you will be led before governors and kings for my sakeas a witness before them and the pagans.When they hand you over,do not worry about how you are to speakor what you are to say.You will be given at that moment what you are to say.For it will not be you who speakbut the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.Brother will hand over brother to death,and the father his child;children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.You will be hated by all because of my name,but whoever endures to the end will be saved.When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israelbefore the Son of Man comes."

Jesus said to his Apostles:"As you go, make this proclamation:'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead,cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,or sandals, or walking stick.The laborer deserves his keep.Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,and stay there until you leave.As you enter a house, wish it peace.If the house is worthy,let your peace come upon it;if not, let your peace return to you.Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerablefor the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgmentthan for that town."

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them outand to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew,Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariotwho betrayed Jesus.Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,"Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.The crowds were amazed and said,“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”But the Pharisees said,“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,teaching in their synagogues,proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,and curing every disease and illness.At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for thembecause they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,knelt down before him, and said,""My daughter has just died.But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.""Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind himand touched the tassel on his cloak.She said to herself, ""If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.""Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,""Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.""And from that hour the woman was cured.When Jesus arrived at the official's houseand saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,he said, ""Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.""And they ridiculed him.When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,and the little girl arose.And news of this spread throughout all that land.

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,but your disciples do not fast?"Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mournas long as the bridegroom is with them?The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,and then they will fast.No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.People do not put new wine into old wineskins.Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."But Thomas said to them,"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his handsand put my finger into the nailmarksand put my hand into his side, I will not believe."Now a week later his disciples were again insideand Thomas was with them.Jesus came, although the doors were locked,and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,and bring your hand and put it into my side,and do not be unbelieving, but believe."Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God?Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?"Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.The demons pleaded with him,"If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine."And he said to them, "Go then!"They came out and entered the swine,and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the seawhere they drowned.The swineherds ran away,and when they came to the town they reported everything,including what had happened to the demoniacs.Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,so that the boat was being swamped by waves;but he was asleep.They came and woke him, saying,"Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,and there was great calm.The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this,whom even the winds and the sea obey?"