Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
18 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children get the sour taste’? 3 As I live,” says the Lord God, “you will never use this saying in Israel again. 4 For all souls belong to Me. Both the soul of the father and the soul of the son are Mine. The soul who sins will die.
25 Yet you say, ‘The Lord is not doing what is right.’ Listen, O people of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? 26 When a right and good man turns away from doing what is right and good, and sins, and dies because of it, he dies because of the sin he has done. 27 But when a sinful man turns away from his sin and does what is right and good, he will save his life. 28 Because he thought about it and turned away from all the sins he had done, he will live for sure. He will not die. 29 But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord is not doing what is right.’ Are My ways not right, O people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?
30 “So I will judge you, O people of Israel, each of you by what he has done,” says the Lord God. “Be sorry for all your sins and turn away from them, so sin will not destroy you. 31 Turn away from all the sins you have done, and get a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O people of Israel? 32 For I am not pleased with the death of anyone who dies,” says the Lord God. “So be sorry for your sins and turn away from them, and live.”
Prayer to Be Kept Safe from Enemies
25 I lift up my soul to You, O Lord. 2 O my God, I trust in You. Do not let me be ashamed. Do not let those who fight against me win. 3 Yes, let no one who hopes in You be put to shame. But put to shame those who hurt others without a reason.
4 Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God Who saves me. I wait for You all day long. 6 Remember Your loving-pity and Your loving-kindness, O Lord. For they have been from old. 7 Do not remember my sins from when I was young, or my sinful ways. By Your loving-kindness remember me for You are good, O Lord.
8 Good and right is the Lord. So He teaches sinners in His ways. 9 He leads those without pride into what is right, and teaches them His way.
A Christian Should Not Be Proud
2 Are you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other? 2 Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions. 3 Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself. 4 Do not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing.
Christ Was Not Proud
5 Think as Christ Jesus thought. 6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. 7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. 8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross. 9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name. 10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him. 11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.
12 My Christian friends, you have obeyed me when I was with you. You have obeyed even more when I have been away. You must keep on working to show you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Be afraid that you may not please God. 13 He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you.
They Ask Jesus Who Gave Him the Power to Do These Things (A)
23 Jesus came into the house of God. The religious leaders and the other leaders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching. They said, “By what right and power are You doing these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing also. If you tell Me, then I will tell you by what right and power I do these things. 25 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” They thought among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ then He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, because they all think John was one who spoke for God.” 27 They said to Jesus, “We do not know.” He said to them, “Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things.
The Picture-Story of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think about this? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first son and said, ‘My son, go to my grape-field and work today.’ 29 He said, ‘I will go.’ But he did not go. 30 The father came to the second son and asked the same thing. The son said, ‘No, I will not go.’ Later he was sorry and went. 31 Which one of the two sons did what his father wanted?” They said to Jesus, “The second son.” Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you this: Tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies will get into the holy nation of heaven before you. 32 For John came to you preaching about being right with God. You did not believe him. But tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies did believe him. When you saw this, you were not sorry for your sins and did not turn from them and believe him.
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