Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord and His Sheep

23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!”^(A) This is the Lord’s declaration. ² “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, banished them, and have not attended to them.^(B) I will attend to you because of your evil acts”—this is the Lord’s declaration. ³ “I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.^{(C) 4} I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them.^(D) They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

The Righteous Branch of David

Psalm 23

The Good Shepherd

A Davidic psalm.

Unity in Christ

¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,”^(A) which is done in the flesh by human hands.^{(B) 12} At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,^(C) without hope^(D) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood^(E) of the Messiah. ¹⁴ For He is our peace, who made both groups one^(F) and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, ¹⁵ He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create^(G) in Himself one^(H) new man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶ He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body^(I) through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.^{[a] 17} When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news^(J) of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(K) 18} For through Him we both have access^(L) by one Spirit to the Father.^{(M) 19} So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,^(N) with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ The whole building, being put together^(O) by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.^{(P) 22} You also are being built together^(Q) for God’s dwelling^(R) in the Spirit.

Feeding 5,000

³⁰ The^(A) apostles^(B) gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³² So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, ³³ but many saw them leaving and recognized them. People ran there by land from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.^{[a] 34} So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion^(C) on them, because they were like sheep^(D) without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.

Miraculous Healings

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret^(A) and beached the boat. ⁵⁴ As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Him. ⁵⁵ They hurried throughout that vicinity and began to carry the sick^(B) on mats to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel^(C) of His robe.^(D) And everyone who touched it was made well.