Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.

Amaziah King of Judah

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

⁵ As soon as Amaziah took control of the kingdom, he executed the officers who had murdered his father the king. ⁶ But he did not put to death the children of the murderers because of the rule written in the Book of the Teachings of Moses. The Lord had commanded: “Parents must not be put to death when their children do wrong, and children must not be put to death when their parents do wrong. Each must die for his own sins.”^[a]

⁷ In battle Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, as it is still called today.

⁸ Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel. They said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.”

⁹ Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in Lebanon. It said, ‘Let your daughter marry my son.’ But then a wild animal from Lebanon came by, walking on and crushing the thornbush. ¹⁰ You have defeated Edom, but you have become proud. Stay at home and brag. Don’t ask for trouble, or 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, and 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.) Jehoash went up to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, which was about six hundred feet. ¹⁴ He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils in the Temple of the Lord, and he took the treasuries of the palace and some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

A Story About Planting Seed

4 Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. ² Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴ While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.”

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 twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the stories.

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

Jesus Explains the Seed Story

¹³ Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story? ¹⁴ The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people. ¹⁵ Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who 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 since 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 accepted, they quickly give up. ¹⁸ Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing 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 thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.”