Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch

23 “^(A)Woe to the shepherds who are causing the ^(B)sheep of My pasture to ^(C)perish and are scattering them!” declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the shepherds who are ^[a]tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not been concerned about them; behold, I am going to ^(D)call you to account for the ^(E)evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord. ³ “Then I Myself will ^(F)gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. ⁴ I will also raise up ^(G)shepherds over them and they will ^[b]tend them; and they will ^(H)not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, ^(I)nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

¹¹ Therefore remember that ^(A)previously ^(B)you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “^(C)Uncircumcision” by the so-called “^(D)Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, ^[a](E)excluded from ^[b]the people of Israel, and strangers to ^(F)the covenants of the promise, having ^(G)no hope and ^(H)without God in the world. ¹³ But now in ^(I)Christ Jesus you who ^(J)previously were ^(K)far away ^[c]have ^(L)been brought near ^[d](M)by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is ^(N)our peace, ^(O)who made both groups into one and broke down the ^[e]barrier of the dividing wall, ^15 [f]by ^(P)abolishing ^[g]in His flesh the hostility, which is ^(Q)the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might ^[h](R)make the two ^(S)one new person, in this way establishing ^(T)peace; ¹⁶ and that He might ^(U)reconcile them both in ^(V)one body to God through the cross, ^[i]by it having ^(W)put to death the hostility. ¹⁷ And ^(X)He came and preached ^(Y)peace to you who were ^(Z)far away, and peace to those who were ^(AA)near; ¹⁸ for through Him we both have ^(AB)our access in ^(AC)one Spirit to ^(AD)the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer ^(AE)strangers and foreigners, but you are ^(AF)fellow citizens with the ^[j]saints, and are of ^(AG)God’s household, ²⁰ having been ^(AH)built on ^(AI)the foundation of ^(AJ)the apostles and prophets, ^(AK)Christ Jesus Himself being the ^(AL)cornerstone, ^21 (AM)in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into ^(AN)a holy ^[k]temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being ^(AO)built together into a ^(AP)dwelling of God in the Spirit.

^30 (A)The ^(B)apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and ^(C)they did not even have time to eat.) ^32 (D)And they went away in ^(E)the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Five Thousand Men Fed

³³ The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus went ^[a]ashore, He ^(F)saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because ^(G)they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

Healing at Gennesaret

^53 (A)When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored at the shore. ⁵⁴ And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ⁵⁵ and ran about that entire country and began carrying here and there on their pallets those who were sick, ^[a]to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And wherever He entered villages, or cities, or a countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces and imploring Him that they might just ^(B)touch ^(C)the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were being ^[b]healed.