Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Joseph Reveals Himself
45 At this point, Joseph could not control his emotions any longer, so he cried out to everyone who was standing nearby, “Everybody! Leave me!” As a result, none of his staff[a] was anywhere near[b] him when he revealed himself to his brothers. 2 He cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, including Pharaoh’s household.
3 Joseph blurted out, “I’m Joseph! Is my father really alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, because they had become terrified[c] to be in his presence.
4 Joseph implored his brothers, “Please come close to me.” So they did.
“I’m your brother Joseph, whom you sold into slavery in[d] Egypt!” he told them. 5 “But[e] don’t be distressed or angry at yourselves because you sold me here, because God sent me ahead of you all in order to deliver us.[f] 6 That’s because this famine has been going on for two years now in this region, and there are still five years left, during which there won’t be any plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to keep you alive on the earth, and to save you all in a magnificent way. 8 As a result, it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God himself! He established me as a father-figure to Pharaoh himself! I’m in charge of his entire palace and ruler over the entire land of Egypt. 9 So hurry up, go back to my father, and tell him that his son Joseph tells him, ‘God has made me master of all of Egypt. Hurry up! Come live with me!’ 10 You are to live in the land of Goshen, near where I am—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything that you own. 11 I’ll provide for you there, since there are still five years of famine left to go, and you, your households, and everything you own would have otherwise become impoverished.
12 “Look, now! All of you can see me! And my own brother Benjamin can tell that it’s really me[g] speaking to you! 13 So go tell my father about all of my splendor in Egypt. Tell him about everything that you’ve seen. Be quick about it, and bring my father down here!”
14 Then he threw his arms around Benjamin[h] and wept as they embraced.[i] 15 He kissed all of his brothers and wept with them, too, and then his brothers were able to talk with him.
A Davidic Song of Ascents
The Significance of Unity
133 Look how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil on the head,
descending to the beard—
even to Aaron’s beard—
and flowing down to the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
falling on Zion’s mountains.
For there the Lord commanded his blessing—
life everlasting.
God’s Love for His People
11 So I ask, “God has not rejected his people, has he?” Of course not! I am an Israeli myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he chose[a] long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah,[b] when he pleads with God against Israel?
29 For God’s gifts and calling never change. 30 For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they, too, have now disobeyed. As a result, they may[a] receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you. 32 For God has locked all people in the prison of their own disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
10 Then calling out to the crowd, he addressed them, “Listen and understand! 11 It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”
12 Then the disciples came and asked him, “Do you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind.[a] If one blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter told him, “Explain to us this[b] parable.”
16 Jesus[c] said, “Are you still so ignorant? 17 Don’t you know that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is expelled as waste? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and it is those things that make a person unclean. 19 It is out of the heart that evil thoughts come, as well as murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, false testimony, and slander.[d] 20 These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating with unwashed hands doesn’t make a person unclean.”
A Canaanite Woman’s Faith(A)
21 Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Suddenly, a Canaanite woman from that territory came near and began to shout, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!” 23 But he didn’t answer her at all.[a]
Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, “Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows[b] us.”
24 But he replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation[c] of Israel.”
25 Then she came and fell down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 He replied, “It’s not right[d] to take the children’s bread and throw it to the puppies.”
27 She said, “Yes, Lord. But even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables.”
28 Then Jesus answered her, “Lady,[e] your faith is great! What you want is granted.” That very hour her daughter was healed.
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