Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer. You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take the weight of sin away, and stop putting the blame on others and stop speaking sinful things, 10 and if you give what you have to the hungry, and fill the needs of those who suffer, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like the brightest time of day. 11 The Lord will always lead you. He will meet the needs of your soul in the dry times and give strength to your body. You will be like a garden that has enough water, like a well of water that never dries up. 12 And your cities which were destroyed long ago will be built again. You will set up the stones of the bases of the old buildings. You will be called the one who builds again the broken walls, and who makes the streets on which people live like new.
13 “If you keep from doing what pleases you on the Day of Rest, on My holy day and call the Day of Rest a happy time, and respect the holy day of the Lord, and if you honor it by turning from your own ways, and from following your own desire and by not talking in a foolish way, 14 then you will have joy in the Lord. I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth. And I will feed you with the best from the land given to your father Jacob. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Praise for God’s Love
103 Praise the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, praise His holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul. And forget none of His acts of kindness. 3 He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. 4 He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity. 5 He fills my years with good things and I am made young again like the eagle.
6 The Lord does what is right and fair for all who suffer under a bad power. 7 He made His ways known to Moses and His acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is full of loving-pity and kindness. He is slow to anger and has much loving-kindness.
18 For you have not come close to a mountain that you can touch. You have not come to worship where there is burning fire and darkness and storm and wind. 19 The sound of a horn was heard and God’s voice spoke. The people cried out to Moses to have God stop speaking to them. 20 They could not stand to listen to His strong words, “Even if an animal comes to the mountain, it must be killed.” (A) 21 What Moses saw was so hard to look at that he said, “I am full of fear and am shaking.” (B)
22 But instead, you have come to the mountain of Jerusalem. It is the city of the living God. It is the Jerusalem of heaven with its thousands of angels. 23 You have gathered there with God’s children who were born long ago. They are citizens of heaven. God is there. He will judge all men. The spirits of all those right with God are there. They have been made perfect. 24 Jesus is there. He has made a way for man to go to God. He gave His blood that men might worship God the New Way. The blood of Jesus tells of better things than that which Abel used.
25 Be sure you listen to the One Who is speaking to you. The Jews did not obey when God’s Law was given to them on earth. They did not go free. They were punished. We will be punished more if we do not listen to God as He speaks from heaven. 26 On Mount Sinai, God’s voice shook the earth. But now He has promised, saying, “Once more I will shake the earth and the heavens.” (C)
27 When God says, “Once more,” He means He will take away everything of this world that can be shaken so the things that cannot be shaken will be left.
28 Since we have received a holy nation that cannot be moved, let us be thankful. Let us please God and worship Him with honor and fear. 29 For our God is a fire that destroys everything.
Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the Jewish places of worship on the Day of Rest. 11 A woman was there who had suffered for eighteen years because of a demon. She was not able to stand up straight. 12 Jesus saw her and said, “Woman, you are now free from your trouble!” 13 Then He put His hand on her. At once she stood up straight and gave thanks to God.
14 The leader of the Jewish place of worship was angry because Jesus healed on the Day of Rest. The leader said to the people, “There are six days in which work should be done. Come on those days and get healed. Do not come to be healed on the Day of Rest.” 15 The Lord said to him, “You pretend to be someone you are not! Do not each of you let his cow or his donkey out and lead them to water on the Day of Rest? 16 Should not this Jewish woman be made free from this trouble on the Day of Rest? She has been chained by Satan for eighteen years.” 17 When He said this, all those who were against Him were ashamed. All the many people were glad for the great things being done by Him.
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