The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(A) 35} For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.^{(B) 36} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man^(C) will be ashamed of them^(D) when he comes^(E) in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come^(F) with power.”^(G)

³³ They came to Capernaum.^(A) When he was in the house,^(B) he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.^(C)

³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”^(D)

³⁶ He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms,^(E) he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”^(F)

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us^(G)

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”^(H)

³⁹ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰ for whoever is not against us is for us.^{(I) 41} Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.^(J)

Causing to Stumble

⁴² “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,^(K) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.^{(L) 43} If your hand causes you to stumble,^(M) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,^(N) where the fire never goes out.^{(O) [44] [a] 45} And if your foot causes you to stumble,^(P) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^{(Q) [46] [b] 47} And if your eye causes you to stumble,^(R) pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,^{(S) 48} where

⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted^(U) with fire.

⁵⁰ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?^(V) Have salt among yourselves,^(W) and be at peace with each other.”^(X)