Book of Common Prayer

A second monster

¹¹ Then I saw another monster coming up from the earth. It had two horns like those of a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It acts in the presence of the first monster and with its full authority, and it makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first monster, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ It performs great signs, so that it even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of people, ¹⁴ and it deceives the people who live on earth by the signs which it has been allowed to perform in front of the monster, instructing the earth’s inhabitants to make an image of the monster who had the sword-wound but was alive. ¹⁵ It was allowed to give breath to the monster’s image, so that the monster’s image could speak, and it could kill anyone who didn’t worship the monster’s image. ¹⁶ It makes everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slaves, receive a sign from it, marked on their right hands and on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that nobody can buy or sell unless they have the mark of the name of the monster or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders should work out the monster’s number, because it’s the number of a human being. Its number is Six Hundred and Sixty-Six.

³² Don’t be afraid, little flock. Your father is delighted to give you the kingdom.

³³ “Sell your possessions and give alms. Make yourselves purses that don’t wear out, a treasure in heaven that lasts forever, where the thief doesn’t come near and the moth doesn’t destroy. ³⁴ Yes: where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be too.”

Jesus’ call to watchfulness

³⁵ “Make sure you’re dressed and ready with your lamps alight,” said Jesus. ³⁶ “You need to be like people waiting for their master when he comes back from the wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks they will be able to open the door for him at once. ³⁷ A blessing on the servants whom the master finds awake when he comes! I’m telling you the truth: he will put on an apron and sit them down and come and wait on them. ³⁸ A blessing on them if he comes in the second watch of the night, or even the third, and finds them like that!

³⁹ “But you should know this: if the householder had known what time the thief was coming, he wouldn’t have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You too should be ready, because the son of man is coming at a time you don’t expect.”

⁴¹ “Master,” said Peter, “are you telling this parable for us, or for everyone?”

⁴² “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,” said Jesus, “whom the master will set over all his household, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? ⁴³ A blessing on the servant that his master, when he comes, finds doing just that! ⁴⁴ I’m telling you truly, he will install him as manager over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time over coming back,’ and begins to beat the slaves and slave-girls, to eat and drink and get drunk— ⁴⁶ then the master of that servant will come on a day he doesn’t expect him to, and at a moment he didn’t imagine, and he will cut him in two. He will give him the same place as the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “If a servant knew what the master wanted, and didn’t get ready, or do what was wanted, the punishment will be a severe beating. ⁴⁸ If the servant didn’t know, and did what deserved a beating, it will be a light beating. Much will be required from one who is given much; if someone is entrusted with much, even more will be expected in return.”