Matthew Chapter Ten Poem by Day Williams

1 He called his twelve disciples to him and
Gave them authority to drive out evil
Spirits and heal all kinds of sickness and

Disease.2 These are the twelve apostles' names:
First, Simon (who's called Peter) and his brother
Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and John,

His brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas; the tax collector, Matthew; James
Alphaeus' son, and Thaddaeus; 4 and Simon

The Zealot and Judas Iscariot,
The traitor.5 These twelve Jesus sent out with
The following instructions: "Do not go

Among the Gentiles or Samaritans.
6 Go rather to the lost sheep in the house
Of Israel.7 Go and announce to them

That Heaven's Kingdom is near.8 Heal the sick,
Raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Freely you have received, so freely give.

9 Do not take any gold or silver or
Copper along with you,10 and take no bag
For the excursion, and no extra clothes

Or sandals or a staff; the worker's worth
His keep.11 Whatever town or village that
You enter, search for some respected man

There; stay with him until you leave.12 As you
Enter the home, give it your blessing.13 If
The home deserves it, let your peace come rest

On it; if it is not, then let your peace
Return to you; 14 if none will welcome you
Or listen to your words, shake off the dust

From your feet as you leave that home or town.
15 Believe me, Sodom and Gomorrah will
Fare better on the day of judgment than

That town.16 I send you out like sheep among
Wolves, so be shrewd as snakes, as innocent
As doves,17 but be on guard against men; they

Will hand you over to the courts and flog
You in their synagogues.18 On my account
You will be brought in front of governors

And kings as witnesses to them and to
The Gentiles,19 but when they arrest you, don't
Worry about how you should speak or what

To say, for you'll be told then what to say,
20 For it will not be you who speaks- instead,
The Spirit of your Father will be speaking

Through you.21 A brother will betray a brother
To death; a father will betray his child,
And children will rebel against their parents

And have them killed.22 All men will hate you due
To me, but he who stands firm to the end
Will be saved.23 When you're persecuted in

One place, flee to another. I tell you
The truth, you will not finish going through
The towns of Israel before the Son

Of Man arrives.24 No student is above
His teacher and a servant's not above
His master.25 It is enough for the student

That he be like his teacher, that the servant
Be like his master. If the household head
Is called ‘The Evil Prince, ' what sort of names

Will they give to his servants? 26 But don't be
Afraid of them. There's nothing now concealed
That will not be exposed, or hidden that

Will not be known.27 The things I tell you in
The darkness, you should speak in daylight; what
Is whispered in your ear, proclaim from roofs.

28 Don't be afraid of those who kill the body
But cannot kill the soul. Instead, be scared
Of him who can destroy both soul and body

In fires of hell.29 Two sparrows sell for one
Penny, don't they? Yet not a single one
Of them falls down to earth without your Father's

Knowledge.30 The very hairs upon your head
Are numbered,31 so don't be afraid; you're worth
More than a flock of sparrows.32 Every man

Who publicly acknowledges me, I'll
Acknowledge in front of my Father in
Heaven,33 but every man who shall disown

Me publicly, I will disown to my
Father in heaven.34 Don't suppose that I
Have come to bring peace to the earth. I did

Not come to bring peace, but a sword,35 for I
Have come to turn ‘a man against his father,
A girl against her mother, and a daughter-

In-law against her mother-in-law'− 36 right
In his own home a man will have his worst
Enemies.37 Anyone who loves his father

Or mother more than me does not deserve
To be mine; anyone who loves his son
Or daughter more than me does not deserve

To be mine; 38 and the one who does not take
His cross and follow me does not deserve
Me.39 He who finds his life will lose it; he

Who gives it up for me will find it.40 Those
Who welcome you are welcoming me. When
They welcome me, they welcome God who sent

Me.41 Anyone who greets a prophet just
Because he is a prophet will receive
The same reward a prophet gains; he who

Receives a righteous man because he is
A righteous man will gain a righteous man's
Reward,42 and if you, as my follower,

Give even a cold cup of water to
A little child, believe me, serves the Lord,
And he will surely not lose his reward."