Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord’s Sixth Promise to Abraham

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oak trees belonging to Mamre as he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day. ² Abraham looked up, and suddenly he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them, and he bowed with his face touching the ground.

³ “Please, sir,” Abraham said, “stop by to visit me for a while. ⁴ Why don’t we let someone bring a little water? After you wash your feet, you can stretch out and rest under the tree. ⁵ Let me bring some bread so that you can regain your strength. After that you can leave, since this is why you stopped by to visit me.”

They answered, “That’s fine. Do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to find Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three measures of flour, knead it, and make bread.”

⁷ Then Abraham ran to the herd and took one of his best calves. He gave it to his servant, who prepared it quickly. ⁸ Abraham took cheese and milk, as well as the meat, and set these in front of them. Then he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

⁹ They asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”

He answered, “Over there, in the tent.”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah happened to be listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were old. Sarah was past the age of childbearing. ¹² And so Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “Now that I’ve become old, will I enjoy myself again? What’s more, my husband is old!”

¹³ The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child now that I’m old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁵ Because she was afraid, Sarah denied that she had laughed.

But the Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

God Provides for Hagar and Ishmael

21 The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised. ² So she became pregnant, and at the exact time God had promised, she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. ³ Abraham named his newborn son Isaac. ⁴ When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. ⁵ Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. ⁷ Who would have predicted to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet, I have given him a son in his old age.”

We Are at Peace with God because of Jesus

5 Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. ² Through Christ we can approach God ^[a] and stand in his favor.^[b] So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. ³ But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, ⁴ endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. ⁵ We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶ Look at it this way: At the right time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for ungodly people. ⁷ Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. ⁸ Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.

Jesus’ Compassion for People

³⁵ Jesus went to all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues and spread the Good News of the kingdom. He also cured every disease and sickness.

³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is large, but the workers are few. ³⁸ So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops.”

Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles^(A)

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority to force evil spirits out of people and to cure every disease and sickness.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first and foremost, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James (son of Alphaeus), and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve^(B)

⁵ Jesus sent these twelve out with the following instructions: “Don’t go among people who are not Jewish or into any Samaritan city. ⁶ Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel. ⁷ As you go, spread this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Cure the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse those with skin diseases, and force demons out of people. Give these things without charging, since you received them without paying.

⁹ “Don’t take any gold, silver, or even copper coins in your pockets. ¹⁰ Don’t take a traveling bag for the trip, a change of clothes, sandals, or a walking stick. After all, the worker deserves to have his needs met.

¹¹ “When you go into a city or village, look for people who will listen to you there. Stay with them until you leave ⌞that place⌟. ¹² When you go into a house, greet the family. ¹³ If it is a family that listens to you, allow your greeting to stand. But if it is not receptive, take back your greeting. ¹⁴ If anyone doesn’t welcome you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet. ¹⁵ I can guarantee this truth: Judgment day will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city.

¹⁶ “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Watch out for people who will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of me you will even be brought in front of governors and kings to testify to them and to everyone in the world. ¹⁹ When they hand you over ⌞to the authorities⌟, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. When the time comes, you will be given what to say. ²⁰ Indeed, you’re not the ones who will be speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. ²² Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who patiently endures to the end will be saved. ²³ So when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I can guarantee this truth: Before you have gone through every city in Israel, the Son of Man will come.