Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Obedient Servant
4 The Lord God has given Me
the tongue of those who are instructed(A)
to know how to sustain the weary with a word.
He awakens Me each morning;
He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed.(B)
5 The Lord God has opened My ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I did not turn back.(C)
6 I gave My back to those who beat Me,
and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard.
I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting.(D)
7 The Lord God will help Me;
therefore I have not been humiliated;
therefore I have set My face like flint,(E)
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 The One who vindicates Me is near;(F)
who will contend with Me?
Let us confront each other.[a]
Who has a case against Me?[b]
Let him come near Me!
9 In truth, the Lord God will help Me;
who will condemn Me?(G)
Indeed, all of them will wear out like a garment;
a moth will devour them.(H)
Psalm 116
Thanks to God for Deliverance
1 I love the Lord because He has heard
my appeal for mercy.(A)
2 Because He has turned His ear to me,
I will call out to Him as long as I live.(B)
3 The ropes of death were wrapped around me,
and the torments of Sheol overcame me;
I encountered trouble and sorrow.(C)
4 Then I called on the name of Yahweh:
“Yahweh, save me!”(D)
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is compassionate.(E)
6 The Lord guards the inexperienced;
I was helpless, and He saved me.(F)
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.(G)
8 For You, Lord, rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.(H)
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.(I)
Controlling the Tongue
3 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment,(A) 2 for we all stumble in many ways.(B) If anyone does not stumble in what he says,[a] he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body.[b](C)
3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us,(D) we also guide the whole animal.[c] 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.(E) Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body,(F) sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.
7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.(G) 9 We praise our[d] Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it.(H) 10 Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
Peter’s Confession of the Messiah
27 Jesus(A) went out with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They answered Him, “John the Baptist;(B) others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”(C)
29 “But you,” He asked them again, “who do you say that I am?”
Peter(D) answered Him, “You are the Messiah!”(E)
30 And He strictly warned(F) them to tell no one about Him.
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
31 Then(G) He began to teach them that the Son of Man(H) must suffer many things and be rejected(I) by the elders,(J) the chief priests, and the scribes,(K) be killed, and rise(L) after three days.(M) 32 He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan,(N) because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns,[a] but man’s!”
Take Up Your Cross
34 Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself,(O) take up his cross,(P) and follow Me.(Q) 35 For whoever wants to save(R) his life will lose it,(S) but whoever loses(T) his life(U) because of Me(V) and the gospel(W) will save it.(X) 36 For what does it benefit(Y) a man to gain(Z) the whole world(AA) yet lose(AB) his life?(AC) 37 What can a man give in exchange for his life?(AD) 38 For whoever is ashamed(AE) of Me and of My words(AF) in this adulterous and sinful(AG) generation,(AH) the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory(AI) of His Father(AJ) with the holy(AK) angels.”(AL)
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