Memory Text: Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV “14 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Sunday – The Appointing of the Apostles
Mark 3:13-18 20th Century NT “13 ¶ And Jesus made his way up the hill, and called those whom he wished; and they went to him. 14 And he appointed twelve—whom he also named ‘Apostles’—that they might be with him, and that he might send them out as his Messengers, to preach, 15 And with power to drive out demons. 16 So he appointed the Twelve—Peter (which was the name that Jesus gave to Simon), 17 James, the son of Zebediah, and his brother John (to whom he gave the name of Boanerges, which means the Thunderers), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,”
Mark 3:14 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The reason why twelve were chosen was, probably, that such a number would be deemed competent witnesses of what they saw; that so many could not be supposed to be imposed upon; that they could not be easily charged with being excited by sympathy, or being deluded, as a multitude might; and that, being destined to go into all the world, a considerable number seemed indispensable. Perhaps, also, there was some reference to the fact that twelve was the number of the tribes of Israel.
Luke 6:12-16 NLT “12 ¶ One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: 14 Simon (he also called him Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), 16 Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).”

Monday – The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1 Moffatt NT “So when he saw the crowds, he went up the hill and sat down; his disciples came up to him and he opened his lips”
Matthew 5:13-16 Moffatt NT “13 ¶ You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes insipid, what can make it salt again? After that it is fit for nothing, fit only to be thrown outside and trodden by the feet of men. 14 You are the light of the world. A town on the top of a 15 hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp to put it under a bowl; they put it on a stand and it shines for all in the house. 16 So your light is to shine before men, that they may see the good you do and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 6:5-13 Moffatt NT “5 ¶ Also, when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they like to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street-corners, so as to be seen by men; I tell you truly, they do get their reward. 6 When you pray, go into your room and shut the door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you. 7 Do not pray by idle rote like pagans, for they suppose they will be heard the more they say; 8 you must not copy them; your Father knows your needs before you ask him. 9 ¶ Let this be how you pray: ‘our Father in heaven, thy name be revered, 10 thy Reign begin, thy will be done on earth as in heaven! 11 give us today our bread for the morrow, 12 and forgive us our debts as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors, 13 and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’”
Matthew 6:6 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Every Jewish house had a place for secret devotion. The roofs of their houses were flat places for walking, conversation, and meditation, in the cool of the evening. See Barnes for Mt 9:2. Over the porch, or entrance of the house, was, however, a small room of the size of the porch, raised a story above the rest of the house, expressly appropriated for the place of retirement, in secrecy and solitude, the pious Jew might offer his prayers, unseen by any but the Searcher of hearts. To this place, or to some similar place, our Saviour directed his disciples to repair when they wished to hold communion with God. This is the place commonly mentioned in the New Testament as the upper room, or the place for secret prayer. The meaning of the Saviour is, that there should be some place where we may be in secret--where we may be alone with God. There should be some place to which we may resort where no ear will hear us but His ear, and no eye can see us but His eye. Unless there is such a place, secret prayer will not be long or strictly maintained.
Matthew 6:19-21 Moffatt NT “19 ¶ Store up no treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust corrode, where thieves break in and steal: 20 store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrode, where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure lies, your heart will lie there too.”)
Matthew 6:19 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL In our Lord's time banks, such as we have, were unknown, and in order to keep money its possessor frequently buried it, thus subjecting it to rust and corrosion.

Tuesday – The Sermon on the Mount continued…
Matthew 7:1-5 Holman “1 ¶ “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:15-20 Holman “15 ¶ “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.”
Matthew 7:24-27 Holman “24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!””

Wednesday – Instructions for a Missionary Tour
Matthew 10:1, 10:5-11:1 God’s Word to the Nations “1 ¶ Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority to force evil spirits out of people and to cure every disease and sickness. 5 ¶ Jesus sent these twelve out with the following instructions: "Don’t go among people who are not Jewish or into any Samaritan city. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel. 7 As you go, spread this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Cure the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse those with skin diseases, and force demons out of people. Give these things without charging, since you received them without paying. 9 "Don’t take any gold, silver, or even copper coins in your pockets. 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the trip, a change of clothes, sandals, or a walking stick. After all, the worker deserves to have his needs met. 11 "When you go into a city or village, look for people who will listen to you there. Stay with them until you leave that place. 12 When you go into a house, greet the family. 13 If it is a family that listens to you, allow your greeting to stand. But if it is not receptive, take back your greeting. 14 If anyone doesn’t welcome you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet. 15 I can guarantee this truth: Judgment day will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city. 16 ¶ "I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves. 17 Watch out for people who will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. 18 Because of me you will even be brought in front of governors and kings to testify to them and to everyone in the world. 19 When they hand you over to the authorities, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. When the time comes, you will be given what to say. 20 Indeed, you’re not the ones who will be speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you. 21 "Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. 22 Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who patiently endures to the end will be saved. 23 So when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I can guarantee this truth: Before you have gone through every city in Israel, the Son of Man will come. 24 "A student is not better than his teacher. Nor is a slave better than his owner. 25 It is enough for a student to become like his teacher and a slave like his owner. If they have called the owner of the house Beelzebul, they will certainly call the family members the same name. 26 So don’t be afraid of them. Nothing has been covered that will not be exposed. Whatever is secret will be made known. 27 Tell in the daylight what I say to you in the dark. Shout from the housetops what you hear whispered. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 "Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission. 30 Every hair on your head has been counted. 31 Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows. 32 "So I will acknowledge in front of my Father in heaven that person who acknowledges me in front of others. 33 But I will tell my Father in heaven that I don’t know the person who tells others that he doesn’t know me. 34 "Don’t think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn’t come to bring peace but conflict. 35 I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law. 36 A person’s enemies will be the members of his own family. 37 "The person who loves his father or mother more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. The person who loves a son or daughter more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. 38 Whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me doesn’t deserve to be my disciple. 39 The person who tries to preserve his life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for me will preserve it. 40 "The person who welcomes you welcomes me, and the person who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 The person who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. The person who welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives any of my humble followers a cup of cold water because that person is my disciple will certainly never lose his reward." 11:1 ¶ After Jesus finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he moved on from there to teach his message in their cities.”
Matthew 10:24 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE The disciple is not above his master] Or in plainer terms, A scholar is not above his teacher. The saying itself requires no comment, its truth and reasonableness are self-evident, but to the spirit and design we should carefully attend. Jesus is the great teacher: we profess to be his scholars. He who keeps the above saying in his heart will never complain of what he suffers. How many irregular thoughts and affections is this maxim capable of restraining! A man is not a scholar of Christ unless he learn his doctrine; and he does not learn it as he ought unless he put it in practice.

Thursday – Mission of the Seventy
Luke 10:20 KJ21 “Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven."”
Luke 10:20 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN as power over demons was after all intoxicating, He gives them a higher joy to balance it, the joy of having their names in Heaven's register.