Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord's Promise to Abram

15 Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly.”

² But Abram answered, “Lord All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.^{[a] 3} You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything.”

⁴ The Lord replied, “No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his.” ^5 (A) Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have.” ^6 (B) Abram believed the Lord, so the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.

The Great Faith of God's People

11 Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. ^2 (A) It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.

^3 (B) Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God's command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

^8 (A) Abraham had faith and obeyed God. He was told to go to the land that God had said would be his, and he left for a country he had never seen. ^9 (B) Because Abraham had faith, he lived as a stranger in the promised land. He lived there in a tent, and so did Isaac and Jacob, who were later given the same promise. ¹⁰ Abraham did this, because he was waiting for the eternal city God had planned and built.

^11 (C) Even when Sarah was too old to have children, she had faith that God would do what he had promised, and she had a son. ^12 (D) Her husband Abraham was almost dead, but he became the ancestor of many people. In fact, there are as many of them as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore.

^13 (E) Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth. ¹⁴ When people talk this way, it is clear they are looking for a place to call their own. ¹⁵ If they had been talking about the land where they had once lived, they could have gone back at any time. ¹⁶ But they were looking forward to a better home in heaven. This is why God wasn't ashamed for them to call him their God. He even built a city for them.

Treasures in Heaven

(Matthew 6.19-21)

³² My little group of disciples, don't be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. ³⁴ Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

(Matthew 24.45-51)

^35 (A) Be ready and keep your lamps burning ^36 (B) just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. ³⁷ Servants are fortunate if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you he will get ready and let his servants sit down so he can serve them. ³⁸ Those servants are really fortunate if their master finds them ready, even though he comes late at night or early in the morning. ^39 (C) You would surely not let a thief break into your home, if you knew when the thief was coming. ⁴⁰ So always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.