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Jesus Sends His Cowboys Out to Gather

¹ Jesus hollered for his cowboys to come over to him. He gave 'em the authority to get rid of evil spirits and to cure ills and ailments.

² These are the names of the first cowhands (apostles): Peter and his brother Andrew; old Zebedees's sons, James and John; ³ Phillip and Bart (sometimes called Bartholomew); Thomas and the tax collector Matthew; Alphaeus's boy James, and Thad (also called Thaddaeus by his grandma); ⁴ Simon, who was extremely intense, and Judas Iscariot, who double-crossed Jesus.

⁵ Jesus sent these twelve cowboys out to gather and laid out for them what he wanted them to do, "Don't go to the pastures that aren't Jewish just yet or any pastures where the cross-bred Samaritans hang out. ⁶ Go gather the lost cattle of Israel. ⁷ When you're out there, give everyone this message, 'The kingdom of heaven and the Boss's perfect pastures are real close.' ⁸ Doctor anyone who is sick and I'm even givin' you the gift of raisin' up those who are dead. You didn't do anything to deserve any of this and you should give just as I have given you. ⁹ Don't hide any cash or coins in the bottom of your boots; ¹⁰ take no saddle bags or bedrolls, or an extra vest or pair of britches; those you take care of will and should take care of you.

¹¹ "It don't matter whether you're stayin' at a ranch, a town, or a big city, find someone honest and trustworthy and stay at their place until you leave. ¹² When you enter the home, take your hat off to it. ¹³ If the place and its people treat you well and deserves your blessin', give it to 'em. If not, don't feel bad about takin' it with you. ¹⁴ If no one welcomes you in or listens to what you say, shake the dust off your boots and ride away. ¹⁵ I'm tellin' you what, it'll be better for Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than it will be for that place. ¹⁶ I'm sendin' y'all out like steaks to hungry coyotes. Y'all will need to be savvy as horse traders, but innocent as the day you were born.

Jesus Tells His Cowboys about the Coming Rough Times

¹⁷ "Watch your backs with men. They will hand you over to the local sheriffs and beat you within an inch of your life, right there in the churches. ¹⁸ Because of me, you will be taken before governors, presidents, and later, even to those who aren't Jews, so that you can tell them about who I am. ¹⁹ Don't fret about what you're supposed to say when they arrest you though. When the time comes, I'll give you the words you'll need. ²⁰ It won't be you who'll be talkin' at 'em, it'll be the Spirit of God speakin' through you.

²¹ "Brothers are gonna double-cross each other, and a father will do the same to his kid. Children will buck their parents and turn on 'em, and have 'em put to death. ²² Everyone will hate you because of me, but if you stay in the saddle and ride with me, you will be saved in the end. ²³ When they pester, plague, pick on, and persecute you, just saddle up and ride away to somewhere else. I'm tellin' you honest, you won't even get through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ "A cowhand isn't over the trail boss and a horse isn't above its rider. ²⁵ It's fine for the cowhand to be like the trail boss. If the trail boss has been called Satan, then his crew will be called that more!

²⁶ "So don't fret or be afraid of them. Nothin' will be hidden where you won't see it comin'. ²⁷ What I tell you around the campfire at night, tell everyone else durin' the day. What I whisper to you in private, tell the whole world. ²⁸ Don't be scared of people who can kill your body. They can't kill your soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can kill your body and soul in hell. ²⁹ You can buy two little birds for a penny, can't you? But not one of them will fall out of the sky without God's permission. ³⁰ He even knows how many hairs you have underneath your hat. ³¹ What I'm sayin' is, don't be afraid of anything. The Boss loves you a lot more than little birds.

³² "If you tell everyone at the livery, the feed store, the cow sale, the boot shop, and anywhere else you go, that you belong to my crew, I will tell God you ride with me. ³³ But if you deny ridin' with me, I'll dang sure deny you before the Boss when you get there.

³⁴ "Don't think I have come to make everyone lovey-dovey and peaceful. I didn't come to bring superficial harmony, but a sword. ³⁵ Because I have come to turn 'a boy against his dad, a girl against her mom, a daughter-in-law against her husband's mother—³⁶ a cowboy's worst enemies will be the folks on his own spread.'

³⁷ "Any cowboy who loves his mom or dad more than me isn't worthy to ride for my outfit. Same goes for anyone who loves their kids more than they love me. ³⁸ Anyone who isn't willin' to take up his own cross and ride with me isn't worthy of me. ³⁹ Anyone who rides for themselves will lose their life, but whoever rides with me and shuns themselves for my sake will find life.

⁴⁰ "He who welcomes and receives you, receives me, and he who receives me, receives the Boss. ⁴¹ Anyone who welcomes one of my cowboys gets the same reward as the cowboy who rides for me and anyone who welcomes an honest man because he is honest will get an honest man's bounty. ⁴² And if someone so much as lifts a finger to help one of my cowboys because they ride for me, I'm tellin' you straight, he will get rewarded."