Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Great Day of the Lord

4 ^[a]“The coming day^[b] is certainly going to burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and all who practice evil will be stubble—the coming day will set them on fire,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ² But the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in its light^[c] for those who fear my name. You will go out and leap like calves released^[d] from their stalls

A psalm

Sing Praise to the King

⁶ In the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[a] we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is living in idleness^[b] and not living^[c] according to the tradition that they received^[d] from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know what you must do to imitate us. We never lived in idleness^[e] among you. ⁸ We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, with toil and labor we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It is not as though we did not have that right, but we wanted^[f] to give you an example to follow. ¹⁰ While we were with you, we gave this order: “If anyone doesn’t want to work, he shouldn’t eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some of you are living in idleness.^[g] You are not busy working^[h]—you are busy interfering^[i] in other people’s lives! ¹² We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[j] to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ¹³ Brothers, do not get tired of doing what is right.

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple^(A)

⁵ Now while some people were talking about the Temple—how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God—he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you’re seeing, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another that won’t be completely demolished.”

The Coming Wars and Revolutions^(B)

⁷ Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things happen, and what is to be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

⁸ He said, “See to it that you aren’t deceived, because many will come in my name, proclaiming, ‘I AM,’ and, ‘The time has come.’ Don’t follow them. ⁹ But when you hear of wars and revolutions, don’t ever be terrified, because these sorts of things must take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

¹⁰ Then he went on to say to them, “Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ In addition there will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places, as well as terrifying events, including significant signs from heaven.”

Future Persecutions^(C)

¹² “But before all these things, people^[a] will arrest you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake, ¹³ in order to give you an opportunity to testify. ¹⁴ So purpose in your hearts not to prepare your defense ahead of time, ¹⁵ because I will give you the ability to speak, along with wisdom, that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated continuously by everyone on account of my name. ¹⁸ And yet not a hair on your head will be lost. ¹⁹ But the person who endures to the end will be saved.”