Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord’s Word Will Accomplish Its Task

A psalm by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

Learn from What Happened in the Time of Moses

10 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that all our ancestors ⌞who left Egypt⌟ were under the cloud, and they all went through the sea. ² They were all united with Moses by baptism in the cloud and in the sea. ³ All of them ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all of them drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ Yet, God was not pleased with most of them, so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.

⁶ These things have become examples for us so that we won’t desire what is evil, as they did. ⁷ So don’t worship false gods as some of them did, as Scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy.” ⁸ We shouldn’t sin sexually as some of them did. Twenty-three thousand of them died on one day. ⁹ We shouldn’t put the Lord ^[a] to the test as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. ¹⁰ Don’t complain as some of them did. The angel of death destroyed them. ¹¹ These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history. ¹² So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall.

¹³ There isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape.

Jesus Tells People to Turn to God and Change the Way They Think and Act

13 At that time some people reported to Jesus about some Galileans whom Pilate had executed while they were sacrificing animals. ² Jesus replied to them, “Do you think that this happened to them because they were more sinful than other people from Galilee? ³ No! I can guarantee that they weren’t. But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die. ⁴ What about those 18 people who died when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more sinful than other people living in Jerusalem? ⁵ No! I can guarantee that they weren’t. But if you don’t turn to God and change the way you think and act, then you, too, will all die.”

A Story about a Fruitless Tree

⁶ Then Jesus used this illustration: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on the tree but didn’t find any. ⁷ He said to the gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to look for figs on this fig tree but haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up ⌞good⌟ soil?’

⁸ “The gardener replied, ‘Sir, let it stand for one more year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ Maybe next year it’ll have figs. But if not, then cut it down.’ ”