Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Abrahamic Covenant

15 After these events, the word of the Lord came^(A) to Abram in a vision:

your reward will be very great.

² But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ^{[a] 3} Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in^[b] my house will be my heir.”

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body^[c] will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”^(D)

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.^(E)

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”^(F)

⁸ But he said, “Lord God, how can I know^(G) that I will possess it?”

⁹ He said to him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

¹⁰ So he brought all these to him, cut them in half, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds^(H) in half. ¹¹ Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. ¹² As the sun was setting, a deep sleep^(I) came over Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.

¹⁷ When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals. ¹⁸ On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring,^(A) from the Brook of Egypt^(B) to the great river, the Euphrates River:

Psalm 27

My Stronghold

Of David.

¹⁷ Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross^(A) of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory^(B) is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. ²⁰ Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious^(C) body,^(D) by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

4 So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown,^(E) in this manner stand firm^(F) in the Lord, dear friends.

Jesus and Herod Antipas

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came and told him, “Go, get out of here. Herod^(A) wants to kill you.”^(B)

³² He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work.’^{[a](C) 33} Yet it is necessary that I^(D) travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet^(E) to perish^(F) outside of Jerusalem.

Jesus’s Lamentation over Jerusalem

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,^(G) who kills the prophets and stones^(H) those who are sent to her.^(I) How often I wanted to gather your children^(J) together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(K) but you were not willing!^{(L) 35} See, your house is abandoned to you.^(M) I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when^[b] you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”^[c](N)

The Transfiguration

²⁸ About eight days after this conversation,^(A) he took along Peter, John, and James^(B) and went up on the mountain to pray.^{(C) 29} As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,^(D) and his clothes became dazzling white.^{(E) 30} Suddenly, two men were talking with him—Moses and Elijah. ³¹ They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

³² Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep,^[a](F) and when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him. ³³ As the two men were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master,^(G) it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.^(H)

³⁴ While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed^(I) them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ Then a voice came from the cloud,^(J) saying, “This is my Son,^(K) the Chosen One;^[b](L) listen to him!” ^(M)

³⁶ After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent, and at that time told no one what they had seen.

The Power of Jesus over a Demon

³⁷ The next day,^(A) when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸ Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child.^{(B) 39} A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him. ⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”^(C)

⁴¹ Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse^[a] generation,^(D) how long will I be with you and put up with you?^(E) Bring your son here.”

⁴² As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy,^(F) and gave him back to his father.^{(G) 43} And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.^(H)

The Second Prediction of His Death

While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing,^(I) he told his disciples,