When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans
to make preparations for him.
But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said
“Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
But he turned and rebuked them, saying "You don't know what sort of spirit of you have.
"The Son of Man has not come to destroy lives, but to save them."
And they went on to another village.
As they were going along the road, someone said to him
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests
"but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
To another he said, “Follow me.”
But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead.
"But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
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.
"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.’
“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."
Then turning to the disciples he said privately
"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.”