Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Salvation for All Who Obey

56 Thus says Yahweh:

⁸ declares^[e] the Lord Yahweh, who gathers^[f] the scattered ones of Israel (still I will gather to^[g] him, to his gathered ones).

A Prayer of Blessing

For the music director, with stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.^[a]

A Remnant of Israel Remains

11 Therefore I say, God has not rejected his people, has he?^[a] May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the descendants of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew! Or do you not know, in the passage about^[b] Elijah, what the scripture says—how he appeals to God against Israel?

²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of the disobedience of these, ³¹ so also these have now been disobedient for your mercy, in order that they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For God confined them all in disobedience, in order that he could have mercy on them all.

Defilement from Within

¹⁰ And summoning the crowd, he said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹ It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” ¹² Then the disciples came and^[a] said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they^[b] heard this saying?” ¹³ And he answered and^[c] said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let^[d] them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter answered and^[e] said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶ But he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and is evacuated into the latrine? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person. ¹⁹ For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive speech. ²⁰ These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person!”

A Canaanite Woman’s Great Faith

²¹ And departing from there, Jesus went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came and cried out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came up and^[a] asked him, saying, “Send her away, because she is crying out after us!” ²⁴ But he answered and^[b] said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and^[c] knelt down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶ And he answered and^[d] said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it^[e] to the dogs!” ²⁷ So she said, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you want.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.