Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared[a] a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.[b] 9 But Sarah noticed[c] the son of Hagar the Egyptian—the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham—mocking.[d] 10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish[e] that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son.[f] 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset[g] about the boy or your slave wife. Do[h] all that Sarah is telling[i] you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted.[j] 13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation,[k] for he is your descendant too.”
14 Early in the morning Abraham took[l] some food[m] and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child,[n] and sent her away. So she went wandering[o] aimlessly through the wilderness[p] of Beer Sheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved[q] the child under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot,[r] away; for she thought,[s] “I refuse to watch the child die.”[t] So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably.[u]
17 But God heard the boy’s voice.[v] The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter,[w] Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard[x] the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water.[y] She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran.[z] His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt.[aa]
Psalm 86[a]
A prayer of David.
86 Listen,[b] O Lord. Answer me.
For I am oppressed and needy.
2 Protect me,[c] for I am loyal.
You are my God; deliver your servant who trusts in you.
3 Have mercy on me,[d] O Lord,
for I cry out to you all day long.
4 Make your servant[e] glad,
for to you, O Lord, I pray.[f]
5 Certainly,[g] O Lord, you are kind[h] and forgiving,
and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.
6 O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my plea for mercy.
7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,
for you will answer me.
8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord.
Your exploits are incomparable.[i]
9 All the nations, whom you created,
will come and worship you,[j] O Lord.
They will honor your name.
10 For you are great and do amazing things.
You alone are God.
The Believer’s Freedom from Sin’s Domination
6 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.[a]
5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.[b] 6 We know that[c] our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us,[d] so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)[e]
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know[f] that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die[g] again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you too consider yourselves[h] dead to sin, but[i] alive to God in Christ Jesus.
24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave[a] greater than his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much worse will they call[b] the members of his household!
Fear God, Not Man
26 “Do[c] not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden[d] that will not be revealed,[e] and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear,[f] proclaim from the housetops.[g] 28 Do[h] not be afraid of those who kill the body[i] but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.[j] 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?[k] Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.[l] 30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. 31 So do not be afraid;[m] you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges[n] me before people, I will acknowledge[o] before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring[p] peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword![q] 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.[r]
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy[s] of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take up his cross[t] and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life[u] will lose it,[v] and whoever loses his life because of me[w] will find it.
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