Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael^(A) as king over Aram. ¹⁶ You are to anoint Jehu^(B) son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha^(C) son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.

Elisha’s Appointment as Elijah’s Successor

¹⁹ Elijah left there and found Elisha^(A) son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.^{(B) 20} Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”^(C)

“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

²¹ So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow,^(D) he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.^(E)

Psalm 16

Confidence in the Lord

A Davidic Miktam.^(A)

Freedom of the Christian

5 Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm^(A) then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.^(B)

¹³ For you were called^(A) to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled^(B) in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.^{(C)[a] 15} But if you bite and devour^(D) one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

The Spirit versus the Flesh

¹⁶ I say then, walk by the Spirit^(E) and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires^(F) what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.^{(G) 18} But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious:^[b][c] sexual immorality,^(H) moral impurity,^(I) promiscuity,^{(J) 20} idolatry,^(K) sorcery,^(L) hatreds,^(M) strife,^(N) jealousy,^(O) outbursts of anger,^(P) selfish ambitions,^(Q) dissensions,^(R) factions,^{(S) 21} envy,^[d](T) drunkenness, carousing,^(U) and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.^(V)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit^(W) is love,^(X) joy,^(Y) peace, patience,^(Z) kindness,^(AA) goodness, faith,^{[e] 23} gentleness,^(AB) self-control.^(AC) Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus^(AD) have crucified the flesh^(AE) with its passions and desires.^{(AF) 25} Since we live^(AG) by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

The Journey to Jerusalem

⁵¹ When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up,^[a](A) He determined^[b](B) to journey to Jerusalem.^{(C) 52} He sent messengers ahead of Him,^(D) and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans^(E) to make preparations for Him. ⁵³ But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem.^{(F) 54} When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”^[c](G)

⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them,^{[d] 56} and they went to another village.

Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him,^(H) “I will follow You wherever You go!”

⁵⁸ Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky^[e] have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”^[f]

⁶⁰ But He told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”^(I)

⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”^(J)

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”