Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Water from the Rock(A)
17 Then (B)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of (C)Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to (D)drink. 2 (E)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”
So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you (F)tempt the Lord?”
3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people (G)complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our (H)livestock with thirst?”
4 So Moses (I)cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to (J)stone[a] me!”
5 And the Lord said to Moses, (K)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which (L)you struck the river, and go. 6 (M)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place (N)Massah[b] and [c]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they [d]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
A (A)Contemplation[a] of Asaph.
78 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a (B)parable;
I will utter [b]dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 (C)We will not hide them from their children,
(D)Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
12 (A)Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, (B)in the field of Zoan.
13 (C)He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And (D)He made the waters stand up like a heap.
14 (E)In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 (F)He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16 He also brought (G)streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Unity Through Humility
2 Therefore if there is any [a]consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any (A)affection and mercy, 2 (B)fulfill my joy (C)by being like-minded, having the same love, being of (D)one accord, of one mind. 3 (E)Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but (F)in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 (G)Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of (H)others.
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 (I)Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, (J)being in the form of God, did not consider it [b]robbery to be equal with God, 7 (K)but [c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form (L)of a bondservant, and (M)coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and (N)became (O)obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 (P)Therefore God also (Q)has highly exalted Him and (R)given Him the name which is above every name, 10 (S)that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and (T)that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Light Bearers
12 Therefore, my beloved, (U)as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, (V)work out your own salvation with (W)fear and trembling; 13 for (X)it is God who works in you both to will and to do (Y)for His good pleasure.
Jesus’ Authority Questioned(A)
23 (B)Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and (C)said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The (D)baptism of (E)John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we (F)fear the multitude, (G)for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”
And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my (H)vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, (I)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For (J)John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; (K)but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [a]relent and believe him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.