The extensive gospel portion read for today brings us the center section of Jesus' missional instructions. The nature of the warnings and encouragements he offers to his disciples are both profoundly personal and eschatologically sweeping just as is the mission of the gospel itself.

In verses 24-25, Jesus extends a rather dubious compliment to his followers. His words suggest that there is a close identification between himself and his disciples that they stand in the proper teacher-disciple relationship and are recognized as such. But the result of this close identification is that his students will receive the same abuse and misunderstanding that their master suffers. The "Beelzebul" accusation recalls Jesus' conflict with the Pharisees in 9:34, and prefigures the conversation in 12:24. …