Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

²¹ Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the beginning of the earth? ²² It is God Who sits on the throne above the earth. The people living on the earth are like grasshoppers. He spreads out the heavens like a curtain. He spreads them out like a tent to live in. ²³ It is He Who brings rulers down to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth as nothing. ²⁴ They have just been planted, and have begun to take root in the earth. But He only blows on them and they dry up, and the storm carries them away like dry grass. ²⁵ “To whom will you compare Me, that I should be like him?” says the Holy One. ²⁶ Lift up your eyes and see. Who has made these stars? It is the One Who leads them out by number. He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His strength, and because He is strong in power, not one of them is missing.

²⁷ O Jacob and Israel, why do you say, “My way is hidden from the Lord. My God does not think about my cause”? ²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. ²⁹ He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. ³⁰ Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. ³¹ But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.

Praise for God’s Goodness

147 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God. For it is pleasing and praise is right. ² The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers those of Israel who had been taken away. ³ He heals those who have a broken heart. He heals their sorrows. ⁴ He knows the number of the stars. He gives names to all of them. ⁵ Great is our Lord, and great in power. His understanding has no end. ⁶ The Lord lifts up those who are suffering, and He brings the sinful down to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with thanks. Sing praises to our God on the harp. ⁸ He covers the heavens with clouds. He gives rain for the earth. He makes grass grow on the mountains. ⁹ He gives food to the animals, and to the young ravens that cry. ¹⁰ His joy is not in the strength of a horse. He does not find joy in the legs of a man. ¹¹ But the Lord favors those who fear Him and those who wait for His loving-kindness.

²⁰ He has not done this with any other nation. They do not know His Law. Praise the Lord!

¹⁶ I cannot be proud because I preach the Good News. I have been told to do it. It would be bad for me if I do not preach the Good News. ¹⁷ If I do this because I want to, I will get my reward. If I do not want to do it, I am still expected to do it. ¹⁸ Then what is my reward? It is when I preach the Good News without you paying me. I do not ask you to pay me as I could.

Learning to Get Along

¹⁹ No man has any hold on me, but I have made myself a workman owned by all. I do this so I might lead more people to Christ. ²⁰ I became as a Jew to the Jews so I might lead them to Christ. There are some who live by obeying the Jewish Law. I became as one who lives by obeying the Jewish Law so I might lead them to Christ. ²¹ There are some who live by not obeying the Jewish law. I became as one who lives by not obeying the Jewish law so I might lead them to Christ. This does not mean that I do not obey God’s Law. I obey the teachings of Christ. ²² Some are weak. I have become weak so I might lead them to Christ. I have become like every person so in every way I might lead some to Christ. ²³ Everything I do, I do to get the Good News to men. I want to have a part in this work.

Peter’s Mother-In-law Healed ^(A)

²⁹ Jesus and His followers came out of the Jewish place of worship. Then they went to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went with them. ³⁰ They told Jesus about Simon’s mother-in-law who was in bed, very sick. ³¹ He went and took her by the hand and raised her up. At once her sickness was gone. She got up and cared for them.

Jesus Heals in Galilee ^(B)

³² In the evening as the sun went down, the people took all who were sick to Jesus. They took those who had demons to Him. ³³ All the town gathered at the door. ³⁴ Jesus healed those who were sick of many kinds of diseases. He put out many demons. Jesus would not allow the demons to speak because they knew Who He was.

Jesus Keeps On Preaching in Galilee ^(C)

³⁵ In the morning before the sun was up, Jesus went to a place where He could be alone. He prayed there. ³⁶ Simon and the others looked for Jesus. ³⁷ They found Him and said, “All the people are looking for You.” ³⁸ Jesus said to the followers, “Let us go to the towns near here so I can preach there also. That is why I came.” ³⁹ He went through Galilee. He preached in their places of worship and put out demons.