Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁵ “I’ve heard what the prophets who prophesy lies in my name have said: ‘I had a dream; I had a dream.’ ²⁶ How long will this go on?^[a] Is there anything^[b] in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy from the deceit that is in their hearts? ²⁷ With their dreams that they relate to one another,^[c] they plan to make my people forget my name just as their ancestors forgot my name by embracing^[d] Baal. ²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream relate the dream, but let whoever receives my message^[e] speak my message truthfully. What does straw have in common with wheat?” declares the Lord. ²⁹ “My message is like fire or like a hammer that shatters rock, is it not?” declares the Lord.

A Psalm of Asaph

Asking God for Justice

²⁹ By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

³¹ By faith Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies with a greeting of^[a] peace.

³² And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. ³³ Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ put out raging fires, escaped death by^[b] the sword, found strength in weakness, became powerful in battle, and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received their dead raised back to life. Other people were brutally tortured, but refused to be ransomed, so that they might gain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Still others endured taunts and floggings, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins. They were needy, oppressed, and mistreated. ³⁸ The world wasn’t worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and from caves to holes in the ground.

³⁹ All these people won approval for their faith but they did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us, so that they would not be perfected without us.

We Must Look Off to Jesus

12 Therefore, having so vast a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, and throwing off everything that hinders us and especially the sin that so easily entangles^[c] us, let us keep running with endurance the race set before us, ² fixing our attention on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of^[d] the joy set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Not Peace, but Division^(A)

⁴⁹ “I’ve come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already ablaze! ⁵⁰ I have a baptism to be baptized with, and what stress I am under until it’s completed! ⁵¹ Do you think that I came to bring peace on earth? Not at all, I tell you, but rather division! ⁵² From now on, five people in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time^(B)

⁵⁴ Then Jesus^[a] told the crowds, “When you see a cloud coming in from the west, you immediately say, ‘There’s going to be a storm,’ and that’s what happens. ⁵⁵ When you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and so it is. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, yet you don’t know how to interpret the present time?”