Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

^(A)In Praise of God's Goodness^[a]

²⁰ At once Saul fell down and lay stretched out on the ground, terrified by what Samuel had said. He was weak, because he had not eaten anything all day and all night. ²¹ The woman went over to him and saw that he was terrified, so she said to him, “Please, sir, I risked my life by doing what you asked. ²² Now please do what I ask. Let me fix you some food. You must eat so that you will be strong enough to travel.”

²³ Saul refused and said he would not eat anything. But his officers also urged him to eat. He finally gave in, got up from the ground, and sat on the bed. ²⁴ The woman quickly killed a calf which she had been fattening. Then she took some flour, prepared it, and baked some bread without yeast. ²⁵ She set the food before Saul and his officers, and they ate it. And they left that same night.

Please Others, Not Yourselves

15 We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves. ² Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith. ^3 (A)For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, “The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.” ^4 (B)Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. ⁵ And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.