Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

God’s Ten Great Laws

20 Then God spoke all these words, saying, ² “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house where you were servants.

³ “Have no gods other than Me.

⁴ “Do not make for yourselves a god to look like anything that is in heaven above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

⁵ “Do not worship them or work for them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the children, even the great-grandchildren, for the sins of their fathers who hate Me. ⁶ But I show loving-kindness to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Laws.

⁷ “Do not use the name of the Lord your God in a false way. For the Lord will punish the one who uses His name in a false way.

⁸ “Remember the Day of Rest, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you will do all your work. ¹⁰ But the seventh day is a Day of Rest to the Lord your God. You, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, or the traveler who stays with you, must not do any work on this day. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea and all that is in them. And He rested on the seventh day. So the Lord gave honor to the Day of Rest and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so your life may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you.

¹³ “Do not kill other people.

¹⁴ “Do not do sex sins.

¹⁵ “Do not steal.

¹⁶ “Do not tell a lie about your neighbor.

¹⁷ “Do not have a desire for your neighbor’s house. Do not have a desire for his wife or his male servant, his female servant, or his bull or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

The Works and the Word of God

19 The heavens are telling of the greatness of God and the great open spaces above show the work of His hands. ² Day to day they speak. And night to night they show much learning. ³ There is no speaking and no words where their voice is not heard. ⁴ Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun. ⁵ It is as a man soon to be married coming out of his room and as a strong man who is happy to run his race. ⁶ Its rising is from one end of the heavens, and it makes its way to the other end. Nothing is hidden from its heat.

⁷ The Law of the Lord is perfect, giving new strength to the soul. The Law He has made known is sure, making the child-like wise. ⁸ The Laws of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The Word of the Lord is pure, giving light to the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The Lord is always true and right in how He judges. ¹⁰ The Word of the Lord is worth more than gold, even more than much fine gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey straight from the comb. ¹¹ And by them Your servant is told to be careful. In obeying them there is great reward.

¹² Who can see his own mistakes? Forgive my sins that I do not see. ¹³ And keep Your servant from sinning by going my own way. Do not let these sins rule over me. Then I will be without blame. And I will not be found guilty of big sins. ¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.

Christ Is the Power and Wisdom of God

¹⁸ Preaching about the cross sounds foolish to those who are dying in sin. But it is the power of God to those of us who are being saved from the punishment of sin. ¹⁹ The Holy Writings say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise people. I will put aside the learning of those who think they know a lot.” ^{(A) 20} Where is the man who is wise? Where is the man who thinks he knows a lot? Where is the man who thinks he has all the answers? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. ²¹ In His wisdom, He did not allow man to come to know Him through the wisdom of this world. It pleased God to save men from the punishment of their sins through preaching the Good News. This preaching sounds foolish. ²² The Jews are looking for something special to see. The Greek people are looking for the answer in wisdom. ²³ But we preach that Christ died on a cross to save them from their sins. These words are hard for the Jews to listen to. The Greek people think it is foolish. ²⁴ Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are chosen to be saved from the punishment of sin for both Jews and Greeks. ²⁵ God’s plan looked foolish to men, but it is wiser than the best plans of men. God’s plan which may look weak is stronger than the strongest plans of men.

Jesus Stops the Buying and the Selling in the House of God ^(A)

¹³ It was time for the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ He went into the house of God and found cattle and sheep and doves being sold. Men were sitting there changing money. ¹⁵ Jesus made a whip of small ropes. He used it to make them all leave the house of God along with the sheep and cattle. He pushed their money off the tables and turned the tables over. ¹⁶ He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things out of here! You must not make My Father’s house a place for buying and selling!” ¹⁷ Then His followers remembered that it was written in the Holy Writings, “I am jealous for the honor of Your house.” ^(B)

The Jews Ask for Something Special to See

¹⁸ Then the Jews asked Him, “What can You do to show us You have the right and the power to do these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this house of God and in three days I will build it again.” ²⁰ Then the Jews said, “It took forty-six years to build this house of God. Will You build it up in three days?” ²¹ Jesus was speaking of His body as the house of God. ²² After Jesus had been raised from the dead, His followers remembered He said this. They believed the Holy Writings and what He had said.