Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2 And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to (A)take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with (B)Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, (C)“Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and (D)as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”
But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and (A)it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry (B)ground.
9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly (C)a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah (D)went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, (E)“My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, (F)it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. (A)To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
77 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in [a]the (A)sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were (B)afraid;
The depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only (A)do not use liberty as an (B)opportunity for the flesh, but (C)through love serve one another. 14 For (D)all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: (E)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
Walking in the Spirit
16 I say then: (F)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For (G)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, (H)so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But (I)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now (J)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that (K)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But (L)the fruit of the Spirit is (M)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, (N)goodness, (O)faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. (P)Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s (Q)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 (R)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior
51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for (A)Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But (B)they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples (C)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, [a]just as (D)Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, [b]and said, “You do not know what manner of (E)spirit you are of. 56 [c]For (F)the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship(G)
57 (H)Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man (I)has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 (J)Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”
But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, (K)I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is (L)fit for the kingdom of God.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.