Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Potter and the Clay
18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Arise and (A)go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6 “Am I not able, house of Israel, to deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the (B)clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. 7 At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to (C)uproot it, to tear it down, or to destroy it; 8 (D)if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will (E)relent of the disaster that I planned to bring on it. 9 Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to (F)build up or to plant it; 10 if it does (G)evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will (H)relent of the good with which I said [a]that I would bless it. 11 So now, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am (I)forming a disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Now (J)turn back, each of you from his evil way, and [b]correct your ways and your deeds!”’
God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
139 Lord, You have (A)searched me and known me.
2 You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I get up;
You (C)understand my thought from far away.
3 You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You (E)know it all.
5 You have (F)encircled me behind and in front,
And (G)placed Your hand upon me.
6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.
13 For You (A)created my innermost parts;
You (B)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, because [a]I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
(C)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [b](D)frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the (E)depths of the earth;
16 Your (F)eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in (G)Your book were written
All the (H)days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
Salutation
1 (A)Paul, (B)a prisoner of (C)Christ Jesus, and (D)Timothy [a]our brother,
To Philemon our beloved brother and (E)fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia [b](F)our sister, and to (G)Archippus our (H)fellow soldier, and to (I)the church in your house: 3 (J)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Love and Faith
4 (K)I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I (L)hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the [c]saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective [d]through the (M)knowledge of every good thing which is in you [e]for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have had great (N)joy and comfort in your love, because the [f]hearts of the [g]saints have been (O)refreshed through you, brother.
8 Therefore, (P)though I have [h]enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is (Q)proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather (R)appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, [i]an (S)old man, and now also (T)a prisoner of (U)Christ Jesus—
Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man
10 I (V)appeal to you for my [j](W)son [k](X)Onesimus, whom I [l]fathered in my [m]imprisonment, 11 who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my [n](Y)imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would (Z)not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps it was (AA)for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 (AB)no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, (AC)a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both (AD)in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 If then you regard me as a (AE)partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 (AF)I, Paul, have written this with my own hand, I will repay it ((AG)not to [o]mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; (AH)refresh my heart in Christ.
21 (AI)Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
Discipleship Tested
25 Now [a]large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, 26 “(A)If anyone comes to Me and does not [b]hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not (B)carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and (C)consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who (D)does not [c]give up all his own possessions.
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