Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

“Those at Ease in Zion”

The Lord an Abundant Helper.

⁶ But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God]. ⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world, so [it is clear that] we cannot take anything out of it, either. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery]. ¹⁰ For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.

¹¹ But as for you, ^[a]O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.^{(A) 12} Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I solemnly charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and [in the presence] of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession [in His testimony] before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ to keep all His precepts without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will bring about in His own time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign [the absolute Ruler], the King of those who reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, ¹⁶ He alone possesses immortality [absolute exemption from death] and lives in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share [with others]. ¹⁹ In this way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day. ²⁰ And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. ²¹ He [eagerly] longed to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. ²² Now it happened that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s ^[a]bosom (paradise); and the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). ²⁴ And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in severe agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you [people] a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ So the rich man said, ‘Then, father [Abraham], I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—in order that he may solemnly warn them and witness to them, so that they too will not come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have [the Scriptures given by] Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ³⁰ He replied, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent [they will change their old way of thinking and seek God and His righteousness].’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to [the messages of] Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”