Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

3 My brothers, not many of you should be teachers. You know that we who teach will be punished more than other people.

² We all do many wrong things. Any man who never says anything wrong is right in every way. He is able to make his whole body do what is right.

³ We put a piece of iron in the mouths of horses so they will obey us. Then we can make their whole bodies go where we want them to go.

⁴ Look at the big boats also. They are very big. The strong winds push them along. But a man uses a small piece of wood and makes the boat go where he wants it to go.

⁵ A person's tongue is like that. It is a small part of the body but it talks about big things. A very small fire can burn a big pile of wood!

⁶ The tongue is like a fire. It is like a whole world of trouble. It is a part of our body. And it makes our whole body bad. It burns up our whole life. And the fire that makes the tongue burn comes from hell.

⁷ People have been able to tame all kinds of animals, birds, snakes, and fish.

⁸ But no one can tame the tongue. It is a bad thing that will not be ruled. It is full of poison that can kill.

⁹ We praise our Lord and Father with our tongues. And we speak wrong words about people with our tongues, even though they were made like God.

¹⁰ Praising and wrong words come out of the same mouth! My brothers, this should not be so.

¹¹ Do good water and bad water both come from the same place?

¹² My brothers, do olives come from a fig tree? Or do figs come from a vine? No, they do not! Salt water and fresh water do not both come from the same place.

²⁷ Jesus went with his disciples to the villages in Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, `Who do people say that I am?'

²⁸ They answered, `People say that you are John the Baptizer. Others say that you are Elijah. And others say that you are one of the prophets from long ago.'

²⁹ Then he asked them, `But who do you say I am?' Peter answered, `You are the Christ.'

³⁰ Jesus said to them, `Do not tell anyone about me.'

³¹ Then he began to teach them. He said, `The Son of Man will have much trouble. The leaders, the chief priests, and the scribes will not believe him. He will be killed. After three days he will rise.'

³² Jesus said this very plainly. Peter took him to one side and began to tell him not to say such things.

³³ Jesus turned around and saw the disciples. Then he talked to Peter. He said, `Get away from me, Satan! You are not thinking the way God thinks, but the way people think.'

³⁴ Jesus called the people and the disciples to him. He said, `If anyone wants to come with me he must leave what he himself wants to do. He must be ready to carry his own cross and come with me.

³⁵ Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. And anyone who gives up his life for my sake and for the sake of the good news will find it.

³⁶ What good will it do a man if he gets the whole world for himself but loses his soul?

^37-38 hat can a person give to get back his soul? People have gone away from God and are full of wrong ways. If anyone in this time is ashamed of me and the things I say, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of that person when he comes. The Son of Man will come with his holy angels, and be great like his Father.'