Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Elisha and the Stew

³⁸ When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a shortage of food in the land. While the groups of prophets were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, “Put the large pot on the fire, and boil some stew for these men.”

³⁹ One of them went out into the field to gather plants. Finding a wild vine, he picked fruit from the vine and filled his robe with it. Then he came and cut up the fruit into the pot. But they didn’t know what kind of fruit it was. ⁴⁰ They poured out the stew for the others to eat. When they began to eat it, they shouted, “Man of God, there’s death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

⁴¹ Elisha told them to bring some flour. He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” Then there was nothing harmful in the pot.

³¹ Meanwhile, his followers were begging him, “Teacher, eat something.”

³² But Jesus answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

³³ So the followers asked themselves, “Did somebody already bring him food?”

³⁴ Jesus said, “My food is to do what the One who sent me wants me to do and to finish his work. ³⁵ You have a saying, ‘Four more months till harvest.’ But I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields ready for harvest now. ³⁶ Already, the one who harvests is being paid and is gathering crops for eternal life. So the one who plants and the one who harvests celebrate at the same time. ³⁷ Here the saying is true, ‘One person plants, and another harvests.’ ³⁸ I sent you to harvest a crop that you did not work on. Others did the work, and you get to finish up their work.”^[a]