Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
6 Don’t magnify yourself in the presence of a king,
and don’t pretend to be in the company of famous men,
7 for it is better that it be told you, “Come up here,”
than for you to be placed lower
in the presence of an official.
What you’ve seen with your own eyes,
The Gracious Person[a]
112 Hallelujah!
How happy is the person who fears the Lord,
who truly delights in his commandments.
2 His descendants will be powerful in the land,
a generation of the upright who will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 A light shines in the darkness for the upright,
for the one who is gracious, compassionate, and just.
5 It is good for the person who lends generously,
conducting his affairs with fairness.
6 He will never be shaken;
the one who is just will always be remembered.
7 He need not fear a bad report,
for his heart is unshaken, since he trusts in the Lord.
8 His heart is steadfast, he will not fear.
In the end he will look in triumph over his enemy.
9 He gives generously to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked person sees this and flies into a rage;
his teeth gnash and wear away.
The desire of the wicked will amount to nothing.
Concluding Words
13 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Stop neglecting to show hospitality to strangers, for by showing hospitality[a] some have had angels as their guests without being aware of it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them, as well as those who are mistreated, since they also are only mortal.[b]
4 Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for God[c] has said, “I will never leave you or abandon you.”[d] 6 Hence we can confidently say, “The Lord[e] is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”[f]
7 Remember your leaders, those who have spoken God’s word to you. Think about the impact of their lives, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus, the Messiah,[g] is the same yesterday and today—and forever!
15 Therefore, through him let us always bring God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to be generous, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
A Lesson about Guests
7 When Jesus[a] noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit down at the place of honor in case someone more important than you was invited by the host.[b] 9 Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, ‘Give this person your place.’ In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher,’ and you will be honored in the presence of everyone who eats with you. 11 Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only[c] your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid. 13 Instead, when you give a banquet, make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. And you will be repaid when the righteous are resurrected.”
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