Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

1 Long ago, God talked to our fathers through the prophets. He talked many times and in many ways.

² In these last days, he talked to us through his Son. God chose him to be the one to whom he would give all things. God also made the world by this Son.

³ He shines as bright as God. He is just like God himself. He holds up the world by the power of his word. He made people clean from their wrong ways. Then he sat down beside God in heaven.

⁴ He is much greater than the angels because God has given him a much better name than theirs.

⁵ God did not put the next world under angels for them to rule over. That is the world we are talking about.

⁶ In one place the holy writings say, `What is man and why do you think about him? What is the Son of a Man and why do you care about him?

⁷ You made him lower than angels for a little while. But then you made him very great and high.

⁸ You put everything under him for him to rule over.' When God gave him the right to rule over everything, nothing was left out which he did not have the right to rule. But we do not yet see him ruling over everything.

⁹ But we do see Jesus! For a short time he was lower than the angels. Because he died, we see him made great and high. He did this so that he could die for every person. God is so good!

¹⁰ Everything was made for God and by God. It seemed good to him that Jesus' life should be made complete, by going through the hard things that happened to him. This was because Jesus leads many people to heaven as God's children. And he is the one who saves them.

¹¹ Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy, all have one Father in heaven. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers.

¹² He said, `I will tell my brothers about you. I will sing praise about you among those who gather together for worship.'

² The Pharisees came to him and asked, `Is it right for a man to send his wife away from him?' They asked this to test Jesus.

³ Jesus answered, `What law did Moses give you?'

⁴ They said, `Moses allowed a man to write a paper to show that he does not want her any more. Then he may send her away.'

⁵ Jesus said to them, `Moses wrote that law because your hearts are so hard.

⁶ From the time God first made people, he made them man and woman.

⁷ That is why a man must leave his father and mother and stay with his wife.

⁸ The two of them will be like one person. So they are not two people any more, but they are one person.

⁹ Man must not separate what God has joined together.'

¹⁰ When they were in the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.

¹¹ So Jesus said, `If any man sends away his wife and marries another woman, he commits adultery against her. [He takes another woman who is not his wife.]

¹² If a woman sends away her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.'

¹³ They brought children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on them. The disciples tried to stop the people.

¹⁴ When Jesus saw what the disciples did, he did not like it. He said, `Let the children come to me. Do not try to stop them.

¹⁵ I tell you the truth. If anyone does not believe in the kingdom of God like a child, he will never go in.'

¹⁶ Jesus took the children up in his arms. He put his hands on them and blessed them.