Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord Will Save Those Who Come to Him

56 The Lord says,

For the director of music. A psalm. A song to be played on stringed instruments.

The Israelites Who Are Faithful

11 So here is what I ask. Did God turn his back on his people? Not at all! I myself belong to Israel. I am one of Abraham’s children. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God didn’t turn his back on his people. After all, he chose them. Don’t you know what Scripture says about Elijah? He complained to God about Israel.

²⁹ God does not take back his gifts. He does not change his mind about those he has chosen. ³⁰ At one time you did not obey God. But now you have received mercy because Israel did not obey. ³¹ In the same way, Israel has not been obeying God. But now they receive mercy because of God’s mercy to you. ³² God has found everyone guilty of not obeying him. So now he can have mercy on everyone.

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not make them ‘unclean.’ It’s what comes out of their mouth that makes them ‘unclean.’ ”

¹² Then the disciples came to him. They asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were angry when they heard this?”

¹³ Jesus replied, “They are plants that my Father in heaven has not planted. They will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave the Pharisees. They are blind guides. If one blind person leads another blind person, both of them will fall into a pit.”

¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain this to us.”

¹⁶ “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see? Everything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body. ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart. Those are the things that make someone ‘unclean.’ ¹⁹ Evil thoughts come out of a person’s heart. So do murder, adultery, and other sexual sins. And so do stealing, false witness, and telling lies about others. ²⁰ Those are the things that make you ‘unclean.’ But eating without washing your hands does not make you ‘unclean.’ ”

The Faith of a Woman From Canaan

²¹ Jesus left Galilee and went to the area of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A woman from Canaan lived near Tyre and Sidon. She came to him and cried out, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on me! A demon controls my daughter. She is suffering terribly.”

²³ Jesus did not say a word. So his disciples came to him. They begged him, “Send her away. She keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep.”

²⁵ Then the woman fell to her knees in front of him. “Lord! Help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their owner’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! You will be given what you are asking for.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.