Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

^23 (A)“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ^24 (B)Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. ^(C)Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. ²⁵ I have heard what the prophets have said ^(D)who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ^(E)‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ ²⁶ How long shall there be lies in the heart of ^(F)the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, ²⁷ who think to make my people forget my name ^(G)by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their ^(H)fathers forgot my name for Baal? ^28 (I)Let the prophet who has a dream ^(J)tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. ^(K)What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. ^29 (L)Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and ^(M)like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Rescue the Weak and Needy

A Psalm of ^(A)Asaph.

²⁹ By faith ^(A)the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. ³⁰ By faith ^(B)the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^(C)Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she ^(D)had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

³² And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of ^(E)Gideon, ^(F)Barak, ^(G)Samson, ^(H)Jephthah, of ^(I)David and ^(J)Samuel and the prophets— ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, ^(K)stopped the mouths of lions, ^34 (L)quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, ^(M)became mighty in war, ^(N)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (O)Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶ Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even ^(P)chains and imprisonment. ^37 (Q)They were stoned, they were sawn in two,^{[a] (R)}they were killed with the sword. ^(S)They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy—^(T)wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, ^(U)though commended through their faith, ^(V)did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better for us, ^(W)that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and ^(X)sin which clings so closely, and ^(Y)let us run ^(Z)with endurance the race that is ^(AA)set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, ^(AB)who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising ^(AC)the shame, and ^(AD)is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Not Peace, but Division

^49 (A)“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! ^50 (B)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how ^(C)great is my distress until it is accomplished! ^51 (D)Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? ^(E)No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, ^(F)father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds, ^(G)“When you see ^(H)a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. ⁵⁵ And ^(I)when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be ^(J)scorching heat,’ and it happens. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! ^(K)You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?