Luke 6:12-36
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles
On one of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray. He spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called for his disciples to come to him. He chose 12 of them and made them apostles. Here are their names.
Simon, whom Jesus named Peter, and his brother Andrew
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James, son of Alphaeus
Simon who was called the Zealot
Judas, son of James
and Judas Iscariot who would later hand Jesus over to his enemies
Jesus Gives Blessings and Warnings
Jesus went down the mountain with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there. A large number of other people were there too. They came from all over Judea, including Jerusalem. They also came from the coastland around Tyre and Sidon. They had all come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses. People who were troubled by evil spirits were made well. Everyone tried to touch Jesus. Power was coming from him and healing them all.
Jesus looked at his disciples. He said to them,
“Blessed are you who are needy.
God’s kingdom belongs to you.
Blessed are you who are hungry now.
You will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are sad now.
You will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they have nothing to do with you
and say bad things about you,
and when they treat your name as something evil.
They do all this because you are followers of the Son of Man.
“The prophets of long ago were treated the same way. When these things happen to you, be glad and jump for joy. You will receive many blessings in heaven.
“But how terrible it will be for you who are rich!
You have already had your easy life.
How terrible for you who are well fed now!
You will go hungry.
How terrible for you who laugh now!
You will cry and be sad.
How terrible for you when everyone says good things about you!
Their people treated the false prophets the same way long ago.
Love Your Enemies
“But here is what I tell you who are listening. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who call down curses on you. And pray for those who treat you badly. Suppose someone slaps you on one cheek. Let them slap you on the other cheek as well. Suppose someone takes your coat. Don’t stop them from taking your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you. And if anyone takes what belongs to you, don’t ask to get it back. Do to others as you want them to do to you.
“Suppose you love those who love you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even sinners love those who love them. And suppose you do good to those who are good to you. Should anyone praise you for that? Even sinners do that. And suppose you lend money to those who can pay you back. Should anyone praise you for that? Even a sinner lends to sinners, expecting them to pay everything back. But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return. And you will be children of the Most High God. He is kind to people who are evil and are not thankful. So have mercy, just as your Father has mercy.
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