Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹³ God promised Abraham and his family that the world would belong to them. God did not make the promise because Abraham obeyed the law. But he made the promise because Abraham believed him and was put right with God.

¹⁴ If the world will belong to people who obey the law, it is of no use to believe God. And the promise is no good.

¹⁵ Because of the law, God is angry. Where there is no law, no one breaks the law.

¹⁶ That is why people must believe. Because God is kind, he makes the promise sure for all of Abraham's children. The promise is for those who have the law and also for those who believe as Abraham did. He is the father of us all.

¹⁷ the holy writings say, `I have made you the father of many nations.' Abraham was made the father of many nations by God. He believed God. He believed that God could make dead people live. He believed God when he said that things were true even though they had not happened yet.

¹⁸ Abraham believed and hoped, though there was nothing to give him hope. He believed that he would become the father of many nations. God had told him this would happen.

¹⁹ He did not stop believing when he thought about his own body. It was almost dead. He was about one hundred years old. He did not stop believing when he thought about Sarah, even though she had never given birth to any children.

²⁰ He did not stop believing God's promise. He believed God very much. He did not praise God for his own faith, but for God's promise.

²¹ He was sure that God was able to do what he had promised to do.

²² He was put right with God because he believed the promise.

²³ The holy writings do not say that for Abraham only.

²⁴ They say it for us too. God will say we are put right if we believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from death.

²⁵ He was killed because we did wrong things. He was raised from death in order that we might be made right with God.

⁹ Jesus went on from there. He saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at the place where people came to pay taxes. Jesus said to him, `Come with me.' Matthew stood up and went with him.

¹⁰ Jesus was eating in a house. Many tax collectors and bad people came in. They sat down to eat with Jesus and his disciples.

¹¹ The Pharisees saw this. They said to his disciples, `Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and bad people?'

¹² Jesus heard it. He said to them, `People who are well do not need a doctor. But sick people need him.

¹³ Go and learn what this means: "I want you to be kind. I do not want a sacrifice." I did not come to call good people. I came to call bad people to stop doing wrong things.'

¹⁸ While Jesus was telling them these things, a ruler came to him. He bowed down in front of Jesus to worship him and said, `My daughter has just died. But if you will come and put your hand on her, she will live.'

¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with the ruler. His disciples went too.

²⁰ A woman had a sickness for twelve years. She was bleeding all the time. She came behind Jesus and touched his clothes.

²¹ She said to herself, `If only I touch his clothes, I will be well.'

²² Jesus turned around. He saw her and said, `Daughter, be glad. You were healed because you believed.' And right away the woman was healed.

²³ When Jesus came to the ruler's house, he saw the music players and people making a noise.

²⁴ He said to them, `Go away. The girl is not dead, but sleeping.' They laughed at him.

²⁵ The people were told to go outside. When they were out, he went in and took the girl's hand. The girl got up.

²⁶ People in all that part of the country heard about it.