Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Abrahamic Covenant

15 After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,

² But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ Abram said, “Since You have not given me any children, my heir is a servant born in my house.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but a son that is from your own body will be your heir.” ⁵ He brought him outside and said, “Look up toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

Faith

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the men of old obtained a good report.

³ By faith we understand that the universe was framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible.

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he would later receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the promised land, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise, ¹⁰ for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself also received the ability to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, who was as good as dead, sprang so many, a multitude as the stars of the sky and innumerable as the sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ Those who say such things declare plainly that they are looking for a homeland. ¹⁵ And certainly, if they had been thinking of the country out of which they came, they might have had the opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give alms. Provide yourselves purses that do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Watchful Servants^(A)

³⁵ “Let your waist be girded and your lights be burning, ³⁶ and you be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door immediately for him when he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master will find watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself and have them sit down to dine, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or comes in the third watch, and finds them so, blessed are those servants. ³⁹ But know this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not have allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ Therefore be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”