Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Bronze Serpent
4 After this, they traveled from Mount Hor along the caravan route by way of the Sea of Reeds and went around the land of Edom. But when the people got impatient because it was a long route, 5 the people complained against the Lord and Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” they asked. “There’s no food[a] and water, and we’re tired of this worthless bread.”[b]
6 In response, the Lord sent poisonous[c] serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died. 7 Then the people approached Moses and admitted, “We’ve sinned by speaking against the Lord and you. Pray to the Lord, that he’ll remove[d] the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed in behalf of the people.
8 Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent out of brass and fasten it to a pole. Anyone who has been bitten and who looks at it will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and fastened it to a pole. If a person who had been bitten by a poisonous serpent looked to the serpent,[e] he lived.
BOOK V (Psalms 107-150)
Gratitude for God’s Deliverance
17 Because of their rebellious ways,
fools suffered for their iniquities.
18 They[a] loathed all food,
and even reached the gates of death.
19 Yet when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
he delivered them from certain destruction.
20 He issued his command[b] and healed them;
he delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his gracious love,
and for his awesome deeds for mankind.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and talk about his works with shouts of joy.
God Has Brought Us from Death to Life
2 You used to be dead because of your offenses and sins 2 that you once practiced as you lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient.[a] 3 Indeed, all of us once behaved like[b] them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we were destined for[c] wrath, just like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us[d] 5 even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with[e] the Messiah[f] (by grace you have been saved), 6 raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in the Messiah[g] Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace that comes to us through his kindness in the Messiah[h] Jesus. 8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God 9 and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting.[i] 10 For we are God’s[j] masterpiece,[k] created in the Messiah[l] Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.[m]
14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him would have eternal life.[a]
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his uniquely existing Son so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. 17 Because God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s uniquely existing Son. 19 And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil. 20 Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed.[b] 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God’s approval.”[c]
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