Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

22 It is better to be respected than to be rich. A good name is worth more than silver or gold.

² The rich and the poor are the same. The Lord made them all.

⁸ Those who spread trouble will harvest trouble. In the end, they will be destroyed for the trouble they caused.

⁹ Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor.

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²² It is easy to steal from the poor, but don’t do it. And don’t take advantage of them in court. ²³ The Lord is on their side. He supports the poor, and he will take from those who take from them.

A song for going up to the Temple.

Love All People

2 My dear brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So don’t treat some people better than others. ² Suppose someone comes into your meeting wearing very nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor person comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. ³ You show special attention to the person wearing nice clothes. You say, “Sit here in this good seat.” But you say to the poor person, “Stand there!” or “Sit on the floor by our feet!” ⁴ Doesn’t this show that you think some people are more important than others? You set yourselves up as judges—judges who make bad decisions.

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. God chose the poor people in the world to be rich in faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to those who love him. ⁶ But you show no respect to those who are poor. And you know that the rich are the ones who always try to control your lives. And they are the ones who take you to court. ⁷ And the rich are the ones who insult the wonderful name of Christ, the name by which you are known.

⁸ One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor^[a] the same as you love yourself.”^[b] If you obey this law, you are doing right. ⁹ But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law.

¹⁰ You might follow all of God’s law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.

¹¹ God said, “Don’t commit adultery.”^[a] The same God also said, “Don’t kill.”^[b] So if you don’t commit adultery, but you kill someone, you are guilty of breaking all of God’s law.

¹² You will be judged by the law that makes people free. You should remember this in everything you say and do. ¹³ Yes, you must show mercy to others. If you do not show mercy, then God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the one who shows mercy can stand without fear before the Judge.

Faith and Good Works

¹⁴ My brothers and sisters, if a person claims to have faith but does nothing, that faith is worth nothing. Faith like that cannot save anyone. ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister in Christ comes to you in need of clothes or something to eat. ¹⁶ And you say to them, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,” but you don’t give them the things they need. If you don’t help them, your words are worthless. ¹⁷ It is the same with faith. If it is just faith and nothing more—if it doesn’t do anything—it is dead.

Jesus Helps a Non-Jewish Woman^(A)

²⁴ Jesus went from there to the area around Tyre. He did not want the people in that area to know he was there, so he went into a house. But he could not stay hidden. ²⁵ A woman heard that he was there. Her little daughter had an evil spirit inside her. So the woman came to Jesus and bowed down near his feet. ²⁶ She was not a Jew. She was born in Phoenicia, an area in Syria. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ Jesus told the woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.”

²⁸ She answered, “That is true, Lord. But the dogs under the table can eat the pieces of food that the children don’t eat.”

²⁹ Then he told her, “That is a very good answer. You may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰ The woman went home and found her daughter lying on the bed. The demon was gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

³¹ Then Jesus left the area around Tyre and went through Sidon. On his way to Lake Galilee he went through the area of the Ten Towns. ³² While he was there, some people brought a man to him who was deaf and could not talk clearly. The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him.

³³ Jesus led the man away from the people to be alone with him. He put his fingers in the man’s ears. Then he spit on a finger and put it on the man’s tongue. ³⁴ Jesus looked up to the sky and with a loud sigh he said, “Ephphatha!” (This means “Open!”) ³⁵ As soon as Jesus did this, the man was able to hear. He was able to use his tongue, and he began to speak clearly.

³⁶ Jesus told the people not to tell anyone about this. But the more he told them not to say anything, the more people they told. ³⁷ They were all completely amazed. They said, “Look at what he has done. It’s all good. He makes deaf people able to hear and gives a new voice to people who could not talk.”