Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son mocking[a]—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham.(A) 10 So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!”(B)
11 Now this was a very difficult thing for[b] Abraham because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be concerned[c] about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac.(C) 13 But I will also make a nation of the slave’s son(D) because he is your offspring.”
14 Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her and the boy away.[d] She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” So as she sat nearby, she[e] wept loudly.(E)
17 God heard the voice of the boy, and the[f] angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from the place where he is. 18 Get up, help the boy up, and support him, for I will make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes,(F) and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy, and he grew; he settled in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Psalm 86
Lament and Petition
A Davidic prayer.
1 Listen, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.(A)
2 Protect my life, for I am faithful.(B)
You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.(C)
3 Be gracious to me, Lord,
for I call to You all day long.(D)
4 Bring joy to Your servant’s life,
because I turn to You, Lord.(E)
The New Life in Christ
6 What should we say then?(A) Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?(B) 2 Absolutely not!(C) How can we who died to sin(D) still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized(E) into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?(F) 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,(G) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead(H) by the glory of the Father,(I) so we too may walk in a new way[a] of life.(J) 5 For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death,(K) we will certainly also be[b] in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self[c](L) was crucified with Him(M) in order that sin’s dominion over the body[d] may be abolished,(N) so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died(O) is freed[e] from sin’s claims.[f] 8 Now if we died with Christ,(P) we believe that we will also live with Him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead,(Q) will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him.(R) 10 For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin(S) but alive to God in Christ Jesus.[g]
24 A disciple[a] is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.(A) 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!(B)
Fear God
26 “Therefore,(C) don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.(D) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,[b] proclaim on the housetops.(E) 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul;(F) rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.(G) 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?[c] Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s(H) consent.[d] 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.(I) 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.(J)
Acknowledging Christ
32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven.(K) 33 But whoever denies Me before men,(L) I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.(M) 35 For I came to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be
the members of his household.(N)[e]
37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me;(O) the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow[f] Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding[g] his life will lose it,(P) and anyone losing[h] his life because of Me will find it.(Q)
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