Book of Common Prayer

For Loss of The Prize Is Possible: Remember What Happened To Israel

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers^[a] were all under the cloud, and all went through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual^[b] food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from a spiritual^[c] rock following them. And the rock was Christ. ⁵ But God was not well-pleased with the majority of them, for they were strewn in the wilderness.

Do Not Follow Their Example

⁶ Now these things took place as our examples, so that we might not be desirers of evil things, as those also desired. ⁷ And do not be idolaters, as some of them, as-indeed it has been written [in Ex 32:6], “The people sat-down to eat and drink, and stood up to play”. ⁸ And let us not be committing-sexual-immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty three thousand fell in one day [Num 25:1-9]. ⁹ And let us not be putting Christ to the test, as some of them tested, and were being destroyed by the serpents [Num 21:5-6]. ¹⁰ And do not be grumbling, like some of them grumbled, and perished by the destroyer [Num 16:41-49]. ¹¹ Now these^[d] things were happening to those ones as-an-example. And it was written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come^[e].

So Watch Out That You Do Not Fall

¹² So then let the one thinking that he stands be watching-out that he may not fall. ¹³ A temptation has not seized you except what is common-to-humanity. And God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but also with the temptation will make the way-out, that you may be able to endure.

Jesus Calls His Followers To Set Aside Earthly Goals And Limitations

¹⁸ Now Jesus, having seen a crowd around Him, gave-orders to depart to the other side. ¹⁹ And having come to Him, one scribe said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go”. ²⁰ And Jesus says to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the heaven have nests, but the Son of Man does not have^[a] a place where He may lay His head”. ²¹ And another of His disciples said to Him, “Master, permit me first to go and bury^[b] my father”. ²² But Jesus says to him, “Be following Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead”.

Even The Winds And Sea Obey Jesus

²³ And He having gotten into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And behold— a great shaking took place in the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves. But He was sleeping. ²⁵ And having gone to Him, they woke Him, saying, “Master, save us. We are perishing”. ²⁶ And He says to them, “Why are you afraid, ones of-little-faith?” Then having arisen, He rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this One, that^[c] even^[d] the winds and the sea obey Him?”