Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Elijah Taken to Heaven

2 Now it happened when Yahweh was about to ^(A)take up Elijah by a ^[a]whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with ^(B)Elisha from ^(C)Gilgal. ² And Elijah said to Elisha, “^(D)Stay here please, for Yahweh has sent me as far as ^(E)Bethel.” But Elisha said, “^(F)As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” So they went down to Bethel.

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Please ^(A)stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to ^(B)the Jordan.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you.” So the two of them went on.

⁷ Now ^(C)fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, but the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ And Elijah ^(D)took his mantle and folded it together and ^(E)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹ Now it happened when they crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a ^(F)double portion of your spirit be upon me.” ¹⁰ And he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you ^(G)see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared ^(H)a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and it separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a ^[a]whirlwind to heaven. ¹² And Elisha was seeing this and he was crying out, “^(I)My father, my father, the ^[b]chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw ^[c]Elijah no more. Then ^(J)he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” Indeed, he himself also ^(K)struck the waters, and they were divided here and there! And Elisha crossed over.

In My Distress I Sought the Lord

For the choir director. According to ^[a]Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A Psalm.

Christ Set Us Free

5 ^[a](A)It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, ^(B)stand firm and do not be subject again to a ^(C)yoke of slavery.

¹³ For you were called to ^(A)freedom, brothers; ^(B)only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(C)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(D)the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “^(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(F)bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

Walk by the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, ^(G)walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out ^(H)the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(I)the flesh ^[a]sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ^(J)so that you do not do the things that you want. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(K)led by the Spirit, ^(L)you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: ^(M)sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, ^(N)sorcery, enmities, ^(O)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, ^(P)selfish ambition, dissensions, ^[b](Q)factions, ²¹ envying, ^(R)drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not ^(S)inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(T)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(U)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, ^(V)self-control. Against such things ^(W)there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who ^[c]belong to ^(X)Christ Jesus ^(Y)crucified the flesh with its passions and ^(Z)desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also ^[d]walk in step with ^(AA)the Spirit.

⁵¹ Now it happened that when the days for ^(A)Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face ^(B)to go to Jerusalem; ⁵² and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the ^(C)Samaritans to ^[a]make arrangements for Him. ⁵³ But they did not receive Him, ^(D)because ^[b]He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when His disciples ^(E)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to ^(F)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them, ^[c][and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, ⁵⁶ for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

^57 (G)And as they were going along the road, ^(H)someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the ^[d]air have ^[e]nests, but ^(I)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ And He said to another, “^(J)Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and ^(K)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but ^(L)first permit me to say farewell to those at home.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “^(M)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”