Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁴ You know when people are running a race, they all run. But only one man will win. The way you should run is to run to win.

²⁵ Everyone who wants to show his strength must control himself in every way. They do it for a prize that will spoil. But what we do, we do for a reward that will never, never spoil.

²⁶ So I do not run as if I did not know where I was going. And I do not fight like a man just beating the air.

²⁷ But I control my own body really well. I make my body obey me. After telling others the good news, I myself do not want to be left out.

⁴⁰ A man who was sick with leprosy [a bad skin disease] came to him. He kneeled down and begged Jesus saying, `I know you can heal me if you want to.'

⁴¹ Jesus was very sorry for him. He put out his hand and touched him. He said, `I want to. Be healed.'

⁴² As soon as he said this, the disease left the man and he was healed.

⁴³ Jesus talked strongly to him and sent him away.

⁴⁴ He said, `Do not tell anyone about this. But go and let the priest look at you. Moses gave a law about the gift you must give to God when you are healed. Give it to prove to people that you are healed.'

⁴⁵ But the man went out and told everyone everywhere what had happened to him. Because he did this, Jesus could not go into any large town freely. He stayed in places where only a few people were. There people came to him from everywhere.