Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Makes a Covenant With Abram
15 Some time later, Abram had a vision. The Lord said to him,
“Abram, do not be afraid.
I am like a shield to you.
I am your very great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord and King, what can you give me? I still don’t have any children. My servant Eliezer comes from Damascus. When I die, he will get everything I own.” 3 Abram continued, “You haven’t given me any children. So this servant of mine will get everything I own.”
4 Then a message from the Lord came to Abram. The Lord said, “When you die, what you have will not go to this man. You will have a son of your own. He will get everything you have.” 5 The Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky. Count the stars, if you can.” Then he said to him, “That’s how many children will be born into your family.”
6 Abram believed the Lord. The Lord was pleased with Abram because he believed. So Abram’s faith made him right with the Lord.
7 He also said to Abram, “I am the Lord. I brought you out of Ur in the land of Babylon. I will give you this land to have as your very own.”
8 But Abram said, “Lord and King, how can I know I will have this land as my own?”
9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a young cow, a goat and a ram. Each must be three years old. Bring a dove and a young pigeon along with them.”
10 Abram brought all of them to the Lord. Abram cut them in two and placed the halves opposite each other. But he didn’t cut the birds in half. 11 Then large birds came down to eat the dead bodies of the animals and birds. But Abram chased the large birds away.
12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. A thick and scary darkness covered him.
17 The sun set and it became dark. Then a burning torch and a pot filled with smoking coals appeared. They passed between the pieces of the animals that had been cut in two. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram. He said, “I am giving this land to your family who comes after you. It reaches from the River of Egypt to the great Euphrates River.
A psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light, and he saves me.
Why should I fear anyone?
The Lord is my place of safety.
Why should I be afraid?
2 My enemies are evil.
They will trip and fall
when they attack me
and try to swallow me up.
3 Even if an army attacks me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if war breaks out against me,
I will still trust in God.
4 I’m asking the Lord for only one thing.
Here is what I want.
I want to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life.
I want to look at the beauty of the Lord.
I want to worship him in his temple.
5 When I’m in trouble,
he will keep me safe in his house.
He will hide me in the safety of his holy tent.
He will put me on a rock that is very high.
6 Then I will win the battle
over my enemies who are all around me.
At his holy tent I will offer my sacrifice with shouts of joy.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call out to you.
Treat me with kindness and answer me.
8 My heart says, “Seek him!”
Lord, I will seek you.
9 Don’t turn your face away from me.
Don’t turn me away because you are angry.
You have helped me.
God my Savior, don’t say no to me.
Don’t desert me.
10 My father and mother may desert me,
but the Lord will accept me.
11 Lord, teach me your ways.
Lead me along a straight path.
There are many people who treat me badly.
12 My enemies want to harm me. So don’t turn me over to them.
Witnesses who tell lies are rising up against me.
They say all sorts of evil things about me.
13 Here is something I am still sure of.
I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I’m still alive.
14 Wait for the Lord.
Be strong and don’t lose hope.
Wait for the Lord.
17 Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. You have us as a model. So pay close attention to those who live as we do. 18 I have told you these things many times before. Now I tell you again with tears in my eyes. Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 The only thing they have coming to them is death. Their stomach is their god. They brag about what they should be ashamed of. They think only about earthly things. 20 But we are citizens of heaven. And we can hardly wait for a Savior from there. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He has the power to bring everything under his control. By his power he will change our earthly bodies. They will become like his glorious body.
Remain Strong in the Lord
4 My brothers and sisters, in this way remain strong in the Lord. I love you and long for you. Dear friends, you are my joy and my crown.
Jesus’ Sadness Over Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus. They said to him, “Leave this place. Go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons. I will keep on healing people today and tomorrow. And on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day. Certainly no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me. 35 Look, your house is left empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ” (Psalm 118:26)
Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he went up on a mountain to pray. He took Peter, John and James with him. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in shining glory. Jesus and the two of them talked together. 31 They talked about how he would be leaving them soon. This was going to happen in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions had been very sleepy. But then they became completely awake. They saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter spoke up. “Master,” he said to him, “it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter didn’t really know what he was saying.
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them. The disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud. It said, “This is my Son, and I have chosen him. Listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept quiet about this. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy Who Is Controlled by an Evil Spirit
37 The next day Jesus and those who were with him came down from the mountain. A large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out. “Teacher,” he said, “I beg you to look at my son. He is my only child. 39 A spirit takes hold of him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him into fits so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him. It is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out. But they couldn’t do it.”
41 “You unbelieving and evil people!” Jesus replied. “How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him into a fit. The boy fell to the ground. But Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. Then Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all amazed at God’s greatness.
Jesus Speaks a Second Time About His Coming Death
Everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did. Then Jesus said to his disciples,
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