Luke 9:44-54

44 "Don't forget what I am about to tell you! The Son of Man is going to be handed over to the power of human beings."
45 But the disciples did not know what this meant. It had been hidden from them so that they could not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about the matter.
46 An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them was the greatest. 1
47 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a child, stood him by his side,
48 and said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, also welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all is the greatest." 2
49 John spoke up, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our group."
50 "Do not try to stop him," Jesus said to him and to the other disciples, "because whoever is not against you is for you."
51 As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem.
52 He sent messengers ahead of him, who went into a village in Samaria to get everything ready for him.
53 But the people there would not receive him, because it was clear that he was on his way to Jerusalem.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" 3

Cross References 3

  • 1. 9.46Luke 22.24.
  • 2. 9.48Matthew 10.40;Luke 10.16;John 13.20.
  • 3. 9.54 2 Kings 1.9-16.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Some manuscripts add] as Elijah did.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.