Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The practical life of God’s people

13 Let the family continue to care for one another. ² Don’t forget to be hospitable; by that means, some people have entertained angels without realizing it. ³ Remember people in prison, as though you were in prison with them. When you think of people who are having a difficult time, remember that you too live in a frail body.

⁴ Let marriage be honored by everyone; let the marriage bed remain undefiled. God will judge those who misbehave sexually or commit adultery.

⁵ Keep your life free from love of money; be content with what you have. He himself has said, after all, “I will never, ever, leave you or forsake you.” ⁶ That’s why we can be cheerfully confident, and say, “The Lord is helping me; I’m not going to be afraid; what can anyone do to me?”

⁷ Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s word to you. Look carefully at how their lives reached their goal, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus the Messiah is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

¹⁵ Our part, then, is this: to bring, through him, a continual sacrifice of praise to God—that is, lips that confess his name, and do so fruitfully. ¹⁶ Don’t neglect to do good, and to let “fellowship” mean what it says. God really enjoys sacrifices of that kind!

Jesus and the Pharisee

14 One sabbath, Jesus went to a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee. They were keeping a close eye on him.

⁷ He noticed how the guests chose the best seats, and told them this parable.

⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding feast,” he said, “don’t go and sit in the best seat, in case some other guest more important is invited, ⁹ and the person who invited you both comes and says to you, ‘Please move down for this man,’ and you will go to the end of the line covered with embarrassment. ¹⁰ Instead, when someone invites you, go and sit down at the lowest place. Then, when your host arrives, he will say to you, ‘My dear fellow! Come on higher up!’ Then all your fellow guests will show you respect. ¹¹ All who push themselves forward, you see, will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be honored.”

The parable of the great banquet

¹² He then turned to his host. “When you give a lunch or a supper,” he said, “don’t invite your friends or your family or relatives, or your rich neighbors. They might ask you back again, and you’d be repaid. ¹³ When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. ¹⁴ God will bless you, because they have no way to repay you! You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”