Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

15 After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

² Abram said, “Lord^[a] Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ Abram said, “Behold, you have given no children to me: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”

⁴ Behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” ⁵ Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So your offspring will be.” ⁶ He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness.

11 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. ² For by this, the elders obtained approval. ³ By faith we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. ⁹ By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen^[a] them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

³² “Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. ³³ Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³⁵ “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning. ³⁶ Be like men watching for their lord when he returns from the wedding feast, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them. ³⁸ They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so. ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”