Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord Desires Genuine Devotion
58 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!
Yell as loudly as a trumpet!
Confront my people with their rebellious deeds;[a]
confront Jacob’s family with their sin.[b]
2 They seek me day after day;
they want to know my requirements,[c]
like a nation that does what is right
and does not reject the law of their God.
They ask me for just decrees;
they want to be near God.
3 They lament,[d] ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast?
Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’
Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires,[e]
you oppress your workers.[f]
4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by[g] arguments, brawls,
and fistfights.[h]
Do not fast as you do today,
trying to make your voice heard in heaven.
5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want?[i]
Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves,[j]
bowing their heads like a reed
and stretching out[k] on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this really what you call a fast,
a day that is pleasing to the Lord?
6 No, this is the kind of fast I want:[l]
I want you[m] to remove the sinful chains,
to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,
to set free the oppressed,[n]
and to break every burdensome yoke.
7 I want you[o] to share your food with the hungry
and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people.[p]
When you see someone naked, clothe them!
Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood.[q]
8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise;[r]
your restoration will quickly arrive;[s]
your godly behavior[t] will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard.[u]
9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must[v] remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond;
you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’
You must[a] remove the burdensome yoke from among you
and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
10 You must[b] actively help the hungry
and feed the oppressed.[c]
Then your light will dispel the darkness,[d]
and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.[e]
11 The Lord will continually lead you;
he will feed you even in parched regions.[f]
He will give you renewed strength,[g]
and you will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring that continually produces water.
12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt;[h]
you will reestablish the ancient foundations.
You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls,
the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’[i]
Psalm 112[a]
112 Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the one[b] who obeys[c] the Lord,
who takes great delight in keeping his commands.[d]
2 His descendants[e] will be powerful on the earth;
the godly[f] will be blessed.
3 His house contains wealth and riches;
his integrity endures.[g]
4 In the darkness a light[h] shines for the godly,
for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just.[i]
5 It goes well for the one[j] who generously lends money,
and conducts his business honestly.[k]
6 For he will never be shaken;
others will always remember one who is just.[l]
7 He does not fear bad news.
He[m] is confident; he trusts in the Lord.
8 His resolve[n] is firm; he will not succumb to fear
before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
9 He generously gives[o] to the needy;
his integrity endures.[p]
He will be vindicated and honored.[q]
2 When I came[a] to you, brothers and sisters,[b] I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony[c] of God. 2 For I decided to be concerned about nothing[d] among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. 4 My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Wisdom from God
6 Now we do speak wisdom among the mature,[e] but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing. 7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined,[f] are the things God has prepared for those who love him.”[g] 10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.
13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[a] 14 The unbeliever[b] does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The one who is spiritual discerns[c] all things, yet he himself is understood[d] by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him?[e] But we have the mind of Christ.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt[a] of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor,[b] how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people! 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 People[c] do not light a lamp and put it under a basket[d] but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.
Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.[e] 18 I[f] tell you the truth,[g] until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter[h] will pass from the law until everything takes place. 19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others[i] to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law[j] and the Pharisees,[k] you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!
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