Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Elijah Taken Away from Elisha
2 When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up in the storm to heaven, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me up to Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives[a] and as your soul lives,[b] I will certainly not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, because Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives[a] and as your soul lives,[b] I will certainly not leave you!” So the two of them went on. 7 Then fifty men from the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water. It divided in two,[c] and the two of them crossed over on dry land.
9 After they crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I may do for you before I am taken away from you.” Then Elisha said, “Please let there come to me a double portion of your spirit.” 10 He said, “What you ask is difficult. If you see me being taken from you, it will be so for you, but if not, it will not happen.” 11 Then they were walking, talking as they went. Suddenly a fiery chariot with horses of fire appeared and separated between the two of them. Elijah went up in the storm to the heavens 12 while Elisha was watching and crying out, “My father, my father; the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” But he could not see him any longer, and he grasped his clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 Then he picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen off of him, and he returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from upon him and struck the water. Then he said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” So he also struck the water, and it divided in two,[d] and Elisha crossed over.
11 I will remember the deeds of Yah.[a]
Surely I will remember your wonders[b] from long ago.
12 I will also muse on all your work,
and meditate on your deeds.
13 O God, your way is distinctive.[c]
Who is a great god like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;[d]
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 With your arm you redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 Waters saw you, O God;
waters saw you and they trembled.
Surely the deeps shook.
17 The clouds poured out water.
The skies thundered.[e]
Your arrows also flew about.[f]
18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;[g]
lightnings lit the world;
the earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way was through the sea,
and your path[h] through many waters.
Yet your footprints were not discerned.[i]
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Live in Freedom and Love One Another
5 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[a] 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Live by the Spirit and Reject the Deeds of the Flesh
16 But I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these things. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ[b][c] have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
Jesus Rejected in a Samaritan Village
51 Now it happened that when the days were approaching for him to be taken up,[a] he set his[b] face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers before him,[c] and they went and[d] entered into a village of the Samaritans in order to prepare for him. 53 And they did not welcome him because he was determined to go[e] to Jerusalem. 54 Now when[f] the disciples James and John saw it,[g] they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned around and[h] rebuked them, 56 and they proceeded to another village.
Would-be Followers
57 And as[i] they were traveling on the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go!” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his[j] head.” 59 And he said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, first allow me to go and[k] bury my father.” 60 But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead! But you go and[l] proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 And another person also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say farewell to those in my house.” 62 But Jesus said,[m] “No one who puts his[n] hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God!”
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software