Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² He got up that night and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ He took them and sent them across the stream, and he also sent his possessions across. ²⁴ Jacob was left alone, and he wrestled with a man there until daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he touched the socket of his thigh, and the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled. ²⁶ The man said, “Let me go. It’s daybreak.”

Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

²⁷ Then he said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

²⁸ Then he said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men, and you have won.”

²⁹ Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

He said, “Why do you ask what my name is?” Then he blessed him there.

³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel,^[a] because he said, “I have seen God face-to-face, and my life has been spared.” ³¹ The sun rose as he crossed over at Peniel, and he was limping because of his thigh.

Psalm 121

Help From the Lord

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A song for the ascents.

Help From the Lord, Israel’s Watchman

¹⁴ As for you, continue in the things you have learned and about which you have become convinced. You know from whom^[a] you learned them ¹⁵ and that from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God breathed^[b] and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, well equipped for every good work.

Proclaim the Gospel

4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom: ² Preach the word. Be ready whether it is convenient or not.^[c] Correct, rebuke, and encourage, with all patience and teaching.^{[d] 3} For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires. ⁴ They will also turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

⁵ As for you, keep a clear head in every situation. Bear hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Jesus told them a parable about the need to always pray and not lose heart: ² “There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not care about people. ³ There was a widow in that town, and she kept going to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my adversary!’ ⁴ For some time he refused, but after a while he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or care about people, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not wear me out with her endless pleading.’”

⁶ The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night? Will he put off helping them? ⁸ I tell you that he will give them justice quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”