Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer for Help

¹⁶ When the news reached the palace that Joseph's brothers had come, the king and his officials were pleased. ¹⁷ He said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers to load their animals and to return to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Let them get their father and their families and come back here. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they will have more than enough to live on. ¹⁹ Tell them also to take wagons with them from Egypt for their wives and small children and to bring their father with them. ²⁰ They are not to worry about leaving their possessions behind; the best in the whole land of Egypt will be theirs.”

²¹ Jacob's sons did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons, as the king had ordered, and food for the trip. ²² He also gave each of them a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. ²³ He sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best Egyptian goods and ten donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food for the trip. ²⁴ He sent his brothers off and as they left, he said to them, “Don't quarrel on the way.”

²⁵ They left Egypt and went back home to their father Jacob in Canaan. ²⁶ “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “He is the ruler of all Egypt!” Jacob was stunned and could not believe them.

²⁷ But when they told him all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, he recovered from the shock. ²⁸ “My son Joseph is still alive!” he said. “This is all I could ask for! I must go and see him before I die.”

Jesus Heals a Man^(A)

8 When Jesus came down from the hill, large crowds followed him. ² Then a man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to him, knelt down before him, and said, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”^[a]

³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I do want to,” he answered. “Be clean!” At once the man was healed of his disease. ^4 (B)Then Jesus said to him, “Listen! Don't tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then in order to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice that Moses ordered.”

Jesus Heals a Roman Officer's Servant^(C)

⁵ When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman officer met him and begged for help: ⁶ “Sir, my servant is sick in bed at home, unable to move and suffering terribly.”

⁷ “I will go and make him well,” Jesus said.

⁸ “Oh no, sir,” answered the officer. “I do not deserve to have you come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. ^9 (D)I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and I order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was surprised and said to the people following him, “I tell you, I have never found anyone in Israel with faith like this. ^11 (E)I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of heaven. ^12 (F)But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go home, and what you believe will be done for you.”

And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.