Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Abraham Is Promised a Son

18 The Lord showed Himself to Abraham by the oak trees of Mamre, as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them. He put his face to the ground ³ and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. ⁴ Let us have a little water brought to wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. ⁵ And I will get a piece of bread so you may eat and get strength. After that you may go on your way, since you have come to your servant.”

The men said, “Do as you have said.” ⁶ So Abraham ran into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry and get three pails of fine flour, mix it well, and make bread.” ⁷ Then Abraham ran to the cattle and took out a young and good calf. He gave it to the servant to make it ready in a hurry. ⁸ He took milk and cheese and the meat which he had made ready, and set it in front of them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate.

⁹ Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old. They had lived many years. The way of women had stopped for Sarah. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Will I have this joy after my husband and I have grown old?” ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘How can I give birth to a child when I am so old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah said, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

The Birth of Isaac

21 Then the Lord visited Sarah as He had said and did for her as He had promised. ² Sarah was able to have a child and she gave birth to a son when Abraham was very old. He was born at the time the Lord said it would happen. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son who was born to him by Sarah. ⁴ Then Abraham did the religious act of the Jews on Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had told him to do. ⁵ Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born. ⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. All who hear will laugh with me.” ⁷ She said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet when he is so old I have given him a son.”

Praises to God for Being Saved from Death

116 I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my prayers. ² I will call on Him as long as I live, because He has turned His ear to me.

¹² What should I give to the Lord for all the good things He has done for me? ¹³ I will show Him my thanks for saving me with a gift of wine and praise His name. ¹⁴ I will keep my promises to the Lord before all His people. ¹⁵ The death of His holy ones is of great worth in the eyes of the Lord. ¹⁶ For sure I am Your servant, O Lord. I am Your servant, the son of the woman who served You. You have set me free from my chains. ¹⁷ I will give a gift of thanks to You and call on the name of the Lord. ¹⁸ I will keep my promises to the Lord before all His people, ¹⁹ in the holy place of the Lord, and in the center of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

5 Now that we have been made right with God by putting our trust in Him, we have peace with Him. It is because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for us. ² By putting our trust in God, He has given us His loving-favor and has received us. We are happy for the hope we have of sharing the shining-greatness of God. ³ We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. ⁴ When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope. ⁵ Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.

⁶ We were weak and could not help ourselves. Then Christ came at the right time and gave His life for all sinners. ⁷ No one is willing to die for another person, but for a good man someone might be willing to die. ⁸ But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

³⁵ Jesus went on to all the towns and cities. He taught in their places of worship. He preached the Good News of the holy nation of God. He healed every sickness and disease the people had. ³⁶ As He saw many people, He had loving-pity on them. They were troubled and were walking around everywhere. They were like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His followers, “There is much grain ready to gather. But the workmen are few. ³⁸ Pray then to the Lord Who is the Owner of the grain fields that He will send workmen to gather His grain.”

Jesus Calls Twelve Followers and Sends Them Out ^(A)

10 Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. ² These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee. ³ There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and ⁴ Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve followers. He told them to go, saying, “Stay away from people who are not Jews. And do not go to any town in the country of Samaria. ⁶ But go to the Jewish people who are lost. ⁷ As you go, preach. Say, ‘The holy nation of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick and those with bad skin diseases. Raise the dead. Put out demons. You have received much, now give much.

⁹ Do not take gold or silver or brass money with you. ¹⁰ Do not take a bag of things for the trip. Do not take two coats or shoes or a walking stick. A workman should receive his food and what he needs.

¹¹ “When you come to a city or town, find a home that is respected and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you go into a house, tell them you hope good comes to them. ¹³ And if the house is respected, give them your good wishes. If it is not respected, let your good wishes come back to you. ¹⁴ Whoever does not receive you or does not listen to what you say, as you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ For sure, I tell you, it will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for that city.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves. ¹⁷ But look out for men. They will take you up to their courts and they will hurt you in their places of worship. ¹⁸ They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me. ¹⁹ When you are put into their hands, do not worry what you will say or how you will say it. The words will be given you when the time comes. ²⁰ It will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

²¹ “A brother will hand over a brother to be put to death. A father will hand over his child to be put to death. Children will hand over their parents to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved. ²³ When they make it hard for you in one town, go to another. For sure, I tell you, before you have gone through the Jewish cities, the Son of Man will come.