Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Sacrifice of Isaac
22 Some time after these things God tested[a] Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham[b] replied. 2 God[c] said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac[d]—and go to the land of Moriah![e] Offer him up there as a burnt offering[f] on one of the mountains which I will indicate to[g] you.”
3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey.[h] He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out[i] for the place God had spoken to him about.
4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of[j] the place in the distance. 5 So he[k] said to his servants, “You two stay[l] here with the donkey while[m] the boy and I go up there. We will worship[n] and then return to you.”[o]
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand,[p] and the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham,[q] “My father?” “What is it,[r] my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said,[s] “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide[t] for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there[u] and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up[v] his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter[w] his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord[x] called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 12 “Do not harm the boy!”[y] the angel said.[z] “Do not do anything to him, for now I know[aa] that you fear[ab] God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
13 Abraham looked up[ac] and saw[ad] behind him[ae] a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he[af] went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.”[ag] It is said to this day,[ah] “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.”[ai]
Psalm 13[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
13 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me?[b]
How long will you pay no attention to me?[c]
2 How long must I worry,[d]
and suffer in broad daylight?[e]
How long will my enemy gloat over me?[f]
3 Look at me![g] Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me,[h] or else I will die.[i]
4 Then[j] my enemy will say, “I have defeated him.”
Then[k] my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I[l] trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance.[m]
6 I will sing praises[n] to the Lord
when he vindicates me.[o]
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, 13 and do not present your members to sin as instruments[a] to be used for unrighteousness,[b] but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments[c] to be used for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.
The Believer’s Enslavement to God’s Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves[d] as obedient slaves,[e] you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness?[f] 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed[g] from the heart that pattern[h] of teaching you were entrusted to, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.)[i] For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.
21 So what benefit[j] did you then reap[k] from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, freed[l] from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit[m] leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the payoff[n] of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rewards
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.[a] 41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever[b] receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones[c] in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth,[d] he will never lose his reward.”
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