Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Covenant of Love
6 “Now these are the commands, decrees, and ordinances that the Lord commanded me[a] to teach you. Obey them in the land you are entering to possess, 2 so that you, your children, and your grandchildren may fear the Lord your God. Keep all his decrees and commandments that I’m giving you every day of your life, so you may live a long time. 3 Listen, Israel! Be careful to obey, so that life[b] may go well for you and that you may increase greatly. Just as the Lord God of your ancestors told you, you’ll have a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 “Listen, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[c] 5 You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 Let these words that I’m commanding you today be always[d] on your heart. 7 Teach them repeatedly to your children. Talk about them while sitting in your house or walking on the road, and as you lie down or get up. 8 Tie them as reminders[e] on your forearm, bind them on your forehead,[f] 9 and write them on the door frames of your house and on your gates.”
Alef [a]
Living in the Law of God
119 How blessed are those whose life[b] is blameless,
who walk in the Law of the Lord!
2 How blessed are those who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all of their heart,
3 who practice no evil
while they walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded concerning your precepts,
that they be guarded with diligence.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast,
so I may keep your statutes.
6 Then I will not be ashamed,
since my eyes will be fixed on all of your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
as I learn your righteous decrees.
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not ever abandon me.
The Messiah Has Offered a Superior Sacrifice
11 But when the Messiah[a] came as a high priest of the good things that have come,[b] he went[c] through the greater and more perfect tent that was not made by human[d] hands and that is not a part of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he went into the Most Holy Place once for all and secured our eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are unclean purifies them physically, 14 how much more will the blood of the Messiah,[e] who through the eternal Spirit[f] offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our[g] consciences from dead actions so that we may serve the living God!
The Greatest Commandment(A)
28 Then one of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees[a] arguing with one another. He saw how well Jesus[b] answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord[c] our God is one Lord,[d] 30 and you must love the Lord[e] your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 Then the scribe told him, “Well said,[h] Teacher! You have told the truth that ‘God[i] is one, and there is no other besides him.’[j] 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw how wisely the man[k] answered, he told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to ask him another question.
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