Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

A song for the Sabbath day.

Amaziah King of Judah

14 Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. This was during the second year Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel. ² Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddin. She was from Jerusalem. ³ Amaziah did what the Lord said was right. Amaziah did everything his father Joash had done. But he did not do as David his ancestor had done. ⁴ The places where false gods were worshiped were not removed. The people still sacrificed and burned incense there.

⁵ Amaziah took strong control of the kingdom. Then he put the officers to death who had killed his father the king. ⁶ But he did not put to death the children of the murderers. This is because of the rule written in the Book of the Teachings of Moses. The Lord had commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death when their children do wrong. And children must not be put to death when their fathers do wrong. Each person must die for his own sins.”^[a]

⁷ Amaziah killed 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. In a battle Amaziah took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, and it is still called that today.

⁸ Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz. (Jehoahaz was the son of Jehu, king of Israel.) The message read, “Come, let’s meet face to face in battle.”

⁹ Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of Judah. Jehoash said, “A little thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a big cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild animal from Lebanon came by. It walked on and crushed the thornbush. ¹⁰ Yes, you have defeated Edom. But you have become proud because of your victory over Edom. Stay at home and brag! Don’t ask for trouble by fighting me. If you do, you and Judah will be defeated.”

¹¹ But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went to attack. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other in battle at Beth Shemesh in Judah. ¹² Israel defeated Judah. Every man of Judah ran away to his home. ¹³ At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah. Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate. This part of the wall was about 600 feet long. ¹⁴ Then he took all the gold and silver and everything in the Temple of the Lord. And he took the treasuries of the palace. He also took some hostages and returned to Samaria.

A Story About Planting Seed

4 Another time Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat and went out on the lake. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. ² Jesus used many stories to teach them. He said, ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴ While the farmer was planting, some seed fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. The seed grew very fast there because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants withered. The plants died because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds. The weeds grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not make grain. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground. In the good ground, the seed began to grow. It grew and made a crop of grain. Some plants made 30 times more grain, some 60 times more grain, and some 100 times more grain.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”

Jesus Tells Why He Used Stories

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone, the 12 apostles and others around him asked him about the stories.

¹¹ Jesus said, “Only you can know the secret truth about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories. ¹² I do this so that:

Jesus Explains the Seed Story

¹³ Then Jesus said to the followers, “Do you understand this story? If you don’t, then how will you understand any story? ¹⁴ The farmer is like a person who plants God’s teaching in people. ¹⁵ Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like some people. They hear the teaching of God. But Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them. ¹⁶ Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy. ¹⁷ But they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching, they quickly give up. ¹⁸ Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching. ¹⁹ But then other things come into their lives: worries, the love of money, and wanting all kinds of other things. These things stop the teaching from growing. So that teaching does not produce fruit^[a] in their lives. ²⁰ Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.”