Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
5 The Lord appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, “Ask me for whatever you want and I’ll give it to you.”
6 So Solomon said:
“You have demonstrated abundant gracious love to your servant David, my father, as he lived in your presence truthfully, righteously, and uprightly in his heart. In addition, you have kept on showing this abundant gracious love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 Now, Lord my God, you have set me as king to replace my father David, but I’m still young. I don’t have any leadership skills.[a] 8 Your servant lives in the midst of your people that you have chosen, a great people that is too numerous to be counted. 9 So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, 11 so God told him:
“Because you asked for this, and you didn’t ask for a long life for yourself, and you didn’t ask for the lives of your enemies, but instead you’ve asked for discernment so you can understand how to govern, 12 look how I’m going to do precisely what you asked. I’m giving you a wise and discerning mind, so that there will have been no one like you before you and no one will arise after you like you.
Peyh
Living in God’s Word
129 Your decrees are wonderful—
that’s why I observe them.
130 The disclosure of your words illuminates,
providing understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant
as I long for your commands.
132 Turn in my direction and show mercy to me,
as you have decreed regarding those who love your name.
133 Direct my footsteps by your promise,
and do not let any kind of iniquity rule over me.
134 Deliver me from human oppression
and I will keep your precepts.
135 Show favor to[a] your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed rivers of tears,
when others do not obey your instruction.[b]
26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, since we do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us[a] with groans too deep for words, 27 and the one who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, for the Spirit[b] intercedes for the saints according to God’s will.[c] 28 And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose, all things are working together[d] for good.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that the Son[e] might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What, then, can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 The one who did not spare his own Son, but offered him as a sacrifice[f] for all of us, surely will give us all things, along with his Son,[g] won’t he? 33 Who will accuse God’s elect? It is God who justifies! 34 Who is the one to condemn? It is the Messiah[h] Jesus who is interceding on our behalf. He died, and more importantly, has been raised and is seated at the right hand of God.
35 Who will separate us from the Messiah’s[i] love? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or a violent death[j] do this?[k] 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being put to death all day long.
We are thought of as sheep headed for slaughter.”[l]
37 In all these things we are triumphantly victorious due to the one who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor anything above, nor anything below, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is ours[m] in union with the Messiah[n] Jesus, our Lord.
The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast(A)
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom from[a] heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. 32 Although it is the smallest of[b] all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom from[c] heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[d] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
The Parable about a Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom from[a] heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field.”
The Parable about a Valuable Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom from[b] heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”
The Parable about a Net
47 “Again, the kingdom from[c] heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen[d] hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. 49 That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones, 50 and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”[e]
New and Old Treasures
51 “Do you understand all these things?”
They told him, “Yes.”
52 Then he told them, “That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from[f] heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
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