Psalm 84 and LUKE 12:13–31

PSALM 84

¹   How lovely is your dwelling place, 
          O LORD of hosts! 
²   My soul longs, indeed it faints 
          for the courts of the LORD; 
     my heart and my flesh sing for joy 
          to the living God.

³   Even the sparrow finds a home, 
          and the swallow a nest for herself, 
          where she may lay her young, 
     at your altars, O LORD of hosts, 
          my King and my God. 
⁴   Happy are those who live in your house, 
          ever singing your praise. Selah

⁵   Happy are those whose strength is in you, 
          in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 
⁶   As they go through the valley of Baca 
          they make it a place of springs; 
          the early rain also covers it with pools. 
⁷   They go from strength to strength; 
          the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

⁸   O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; 
          give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 
⁹   Behold our shield, O God; 
          look on the face of your anointed.

¹⁰  For a day in your courts is better 
          than a thousand elsewhere. 
     I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 
          than live in the tents of wickedness. 
¹¹  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; 
          he bestows favor and honor. 
     No good thing does the LORD withhold 
          from those who walk uprightly. 
¹²  O LORD of hosts, 
          happy is everyone who trusts in you.

________________________________

LUKE 12:13–31

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." ¹⁴But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" ¹⁵And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' ¹⁸Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.¹⁹And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' ²⁰But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

 

²²He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. ²³For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.²⁴Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?²⁶If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? ²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ²⁸But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you - you of little faith! ²⁹And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Psalm 116 and Nahum 1:15-2:12

PSALM 116
1   I love the LORD, because he has heard
          my voice and my supplications.
2   Because he inclined his ear to me,
          therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3   The snares of death encompassed me;
          the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
          I suffered distress and anguish.
4   Then I called on the name of the LORD:
          “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”

5   Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
          our God is merciful.
6   The LORD protects the simple;
          when I was brought low, he saved me.
7   Return, O my soul, to your rest,
          for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

8   For you have delivered my soul from death,
          my eyes from tears,
          my feet from stumbling.
9   I walk before the LORD
          in the land of the living.
10  I kept my faith, even when I said,
          “I am greatly afflicted”;
11  I said in my consternation,
          “Everyone is a liar.”

12  What shall I return to the LORD
          for all his bounty to me?
13   I will lift up the cup of salvation
          and call on the name of the LORD,
14  I will pay my vows to the LORD
          in the presence of all his people.
15  Precious in the sight of the LORD
          is the death of his faithful ones.
16  O LORD, I am your servant;
          I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
          You have loosed my bonds.
17  I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
          and call on the name of the LORD.
18  I will pay my vows to the LORD
          in the presence of all his people,
19  in the courts of the house of the LORD,
          in your midst, O Jerusalem.
     Praise the LORD!

_______________________________________________________________

NAHUM 1:15–2:12
1:15 Look! On the mountains the feet of one
     who brings good tidings,
     who proclaims peace!
Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,
     fulfill your vows,
for never again shall the wicked invade you;
     they are utterly cut off.
2:1 A shatterer has come up against you.
     Guard the ramparts;
     watch the road;
gird your loins;
     collect all your strength.

2 (For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob,
     as well as the majesty of Israel,
though ravagers have ravaged them
     and ruined their branches.)

3 The shields of his warriors are red;
     his soldiers are clothed in crimson.
The metal on the chariots flashes
     on the day when he musters them;
     the chargers prance.
4 The chariots race madly through the streets,
     they rush to and fro through the squares;
their appearance is like torches,
     they dart like lightning.
5 He calls his officers;
     they stumble as they come forward;
they hasten to the wall,
     and the mantelet is set up.
6 The river gates are opened,
     the palace trembles.
7 It is decreed that the city be exiled,
     its slave women led away,
moaning like doves
     and beating their breasts.
8 Nineveh is like a pool
     whose waters run away.
"Halt! Halt!" —
     but no one turns back.
9 "Plunder the silver,
     plunder the gold!
There is no end of treasure!
     An abundance of every precious thing!"

10 Devastation, desolation, and destruction!
     Hearts faint and knees tremble,
all loins quake,
     all faces grow pale!
11 What became of the lions’ den,
     the cave of the young lions,
where the lion goes,
     and the lion’s cubs, with no one to disturb them?
12 The lion has torn enough for his whelps
     and strangled prey for his lionesses;
he has filled his caves with prey

     and his dens with torn flesh.

Psalm 96 and Luke 11:37-52

Psalm 96

1   O sing to the LORD a new song;
          sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2   Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
          tell of his salvation from day to day.
3   Declare his glory among the nations,
          his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4   For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
          he is to be revered above all gods.
5   For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
          but the LORD made the heavens.
6   Honor and majesty are before him;
          strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7   Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
          ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8   Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
          bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9   Worship the LORD in holy splendor;
          tremble before him, all the earth.

10  Say among the nations, “The LORD is king!
          The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
          He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
          let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12       let the field exult, and everything in it.
     Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13       before the LORD; for he is coming,
          for he is coming to judge the earth.
     He will judge the world with righteousness,
          and the peoples with his truth.

_____________________________________________________________________

LUKE 11:37–52

37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. 38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you. 

 

42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it." 

 

45 One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too." 46 and he said, "Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' 50 so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

Psalm 62 and Jonah 1:17–2:10

PSALM 62

1   For God alone my soul waits in silence;
          from him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall never be shaken.

3   How long will you assail a person,
          will you batter your victim, all of you,
          as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4   Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
          They take pleasure in falsehood;
     they bless with their mouths,
          but inwardly they curse. Selah

5   For God alone my soul waits in silence,
          for my hope is from him.
6   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7   On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
          my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

8   Trust in him at all times, O people;
          pour out your heart before him;
          God is a refuge for us. Selah

9   Those of low estate are but a breath,
          those of high estate are a delusion;
     in the balances they go up;
          they are together lighter than a breath.
10  Put no confidence in extortion,
          and set no vain hopes on robbery;
          if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

11  Once God has spoken;
          twice have I heard this:
     that power belongs to God,
12       and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
     For you repay to all
          according to their work.

______________________________________________________________________

JONAH 1:17–2:10

1:17 But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.

2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2saying, 

"I called to the Lord out of my distress, 

     and he answered me; 

out of the belly of Sheol I cried, 

     and you heard my voice.

3 You cast me into the deep, 

     into the heart of the seas, 

     and the flood surrounded me; 

all your waves and your billows 

     passed over me. 

4 Then I said, 'I am driven away 

     from your sight; 

how shall I look again 

     upon your holy temple?' 

5 The waters closed in over me; 

     the deep surrounded me; 

weeds were wrapped around my head 

6     at the roots of the mountains. 

I went down to the land 

     whose bars closed upon me for ever; 

yet you brought up my life from the Pit, 

     O Lord my God. 

7 As my life was ebbing away, 

     I remembered the Lord; 

and my prayer came to you, 

     into your holy temple. 

8 Those who worship vain idols 

     forsake their true loyalty. 

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving 

     will sacrifice to you; 

what I have vowed I will pay. 

     Deliverance belongs to the Lord!" 

10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land.

Psalm 143 and Luke 10:25-37

PSALM 143

1   Hear my prayer, O LORD;
          give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
          answer me in your righteousness.
2   Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
          for no one living is righteous before you.

3   For the enemy has pursued me,
          crushing my life to the ground,
          making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4   Therefore my spirit faints within me;
          my heart within me is appalled.

5   I remember the days of old,
          I think about all your deeds,
          I meditate on the works of your hands.
6   I stretch out my hands to you;
          my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.                    Selah

7   Answer me quickly, O LORD;
          my spirit fails.
     Do not hide your face from me,
          or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8   Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
          for in you I put my trust.
     Teach me the way I should go,
          for to you I lift up my soul.

9   Save me, O LORD, from my enemies;
          I have fled to you for refuge.
10  Teach me to do your will,
          for you are my God.
     Let your good spirit lead me
          on a level path.

11  For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life.
          In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
12  In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,
          and destroy all my adversaries,
          for I am your servant.

__________________________________________________________________

LUKE 10:25–37

25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."


29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Psalm 65 and Luke 10:21-24

PSALM 65

1   Praise is due to you,
          O God, in Zion;
     and to you shall vows be performed,
2        O you who answer prayer!
     To you all flesh shall come.
3   When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
          you forgive our transgressions.
4   Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
          to live in your courts.
     We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
          your holy temple.

5   By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
          O God of our salvation;
     you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
          and of the farthest seas.
6   By your strength you established the mountains;
          you are girded with might.
7   You silence the roaring of the seas,
          the roaring of their waves,
          the tumult of the peoples.
8   Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
          you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

9   You visit the earth and water it,
          you greatly enrich it;
     the river of God is full of water;
          you provide the people with grain,
          for so you have prepared it.
10  You water its furrows abundantly,
          settling its ridges,
     softening it with showers,
          and blessing its growth.
11  You crown the year with your bounty;
          your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12  The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
          the hills gird themselves with joy,
13  the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
          the valleys deck themselves with grain,
          they shout and sing together for joy.

___________________________________________________________________________

Luke 10:21-24

21 At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." 

 

23 Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." 

Psalm 54 and Revelation 7:9–17

PSALM 54

¹   Save me, O God, by your name, 

          and vindicate me by your might. 
²   Hear my prayer, O God; 
          give ear to the words of my mouth.

³   For the insolent have risen against me, 
          the ruthless seek my life; 
          they do not set God before them.                              Selah

⁴   But surely, God is my helper; 
          the Lord is the upholder of my life. 
⁵   He will repay my enemies for their evil.
          In your faithfulness, put an end to them.

⁶   With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; 
          I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. 
⁷   For he has delivered me from every trouble, 
          and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

__________________________________

REVELATION 7:9–17

⁹After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.¹⁰They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"¹¹And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

 

¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" ¹⁴I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. ¹⁶They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; ¹⁷for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Psalm 57 and Luke 9:51–62

PSALM 57

¹   Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, 
          for in you my soul takes refuge; 
     in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, 
          until the destroying storms pass by. 
²   I cry to God Most High, 
          to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 
³   He will send from heaven and save me, 
          he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah 
     God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

⁴   I lie down among lions 
          that greedily devour human prey; 
     their teeth are spears and arrows, 
          their tongues sharp swords.

⁵   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. 
          Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶   They set a net for my steps; 
          my soul was bowed down. 
     They dug a pit in my path, 
          but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 
⁷   My heart is steadfast, O God, 
          my heart is steadfast. 
     I will sing and make melody. 
⁸        Awake, my soul! 
     Awake, O harp and lyre! 
          I will awake the dawn. 
⁹   I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; 
          I will sing praises to you among the nations. 
¹⁰   For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; 
          your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

¹¹   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. 
     Let your glory be over all the earth.

_________________________________

LUKE 9:51–62

⁵¹When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵²And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; ⁵³but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" ⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶Then they went on to another village.

 

⁵⁷As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." ⁵⁸And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." ⁵⁹To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." ⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." ⁶¹Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." ⁶²Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Psalm 36 and Luke 9:18-27

PSALM 36

1   Transgression speaks to the wicked
          deep in their hearts;
     there is no fear of God
          before their eyes.
2   For they flatter themselves in their own eyes
          that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3   The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;
          they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
4   They plot mischief while on their beds;
          they are set on a way that is not good;
          they do not reject evil.

5   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
          your faithfulness to the clouds.
6   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
          your judgments are like the great deep;
          you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

7   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
          All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8   They feast on the abundance of your house,
          and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9   For with you is the fountain of life;
          in your light we see light.

10  O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
          and your salvation to the upright of heart!
11  Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
          or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12  There the evildoers lie prostrate;
          they are thrust down, unable to rise.

______________________________________________________________________

LUKE 9:18–27

18 Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" 19 They answered, "John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen." 20 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."

21 He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, 22 saying, "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."


23 Then he said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. 25 What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? 26 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

Psalm 135 and Luke 8:26-39

PSALM 135

1   Praise the LORD!
          Praise the name of the LORD;
          give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2   you that stand in the house of the LORD,
          in the courts of the house of our God.
3   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
          sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4   For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
          Israel as his own possession.

5   For I know that the LORD is great;
          our Lord is above all gods.
6   Whatever the LORD pleases he does,
          in heaven and on earth,
          in the seas and all deeps.
7   He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
          he makes lightnings for the rain
          and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

8   He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
          both human beings and animals;
9   he sent signs and wonders
          into your midst, O Egypt,
          against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10  He struck down many nations
          and killed mighty kings —
11  Sihon, king of the Amorites,
          and Og, king of Bashan,
          and all the kingdoms of Canaan —
12  and gave their land as a heritage,
          a heritage to his people Israel.

13  Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
          your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14  For the LORD will vindicate his people,
          and have compassion on his servants.

15  The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
          the work of human hands.
16  They have mouths, but they do not speak;
          they have eyes, but they do not see;
17  they have ears, but they do not hear,
          and there is no breath in their mouths.
18  Those who make them
          and all who trust them
          shall become like them.

19  O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
          O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20  O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
          You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21  Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
          he who resides in Jerusalem.
     Praise the LORD!

____________________________________________________________________

LUKE 8:26–39

26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" - 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.


34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Psalm 89:1-18 and Luke 7:18–35

Psalm 89:1-18

¹   I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; 
          with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. 
²   I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; 
          your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

³   You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, 
          I have sworn to my servant David: 
⁴   ‘I will establish your descendants forever, 
          and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

⁵   Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, 
          your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 
⁶   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? 
          Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, 
⁷   a God feared in the council of the holy ones, 
          great and awesome above all that are around him? 
⁸   O LORD God of hosts, 
          who is as mighty as you, O LORD?
          Your faithfulness surrounds you. 
⁹   You rule the raging of the sea; 
          when its waves rise, you still them. 
¹⁰  You crushed Rahab like a carcass; 
          you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 
¹¹  The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; 
          the world and all that is in it — you have founded them. 
¹²  The north and the south — you created them; 
          Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 
¹³  You have a mighty arm; 
          strong is your hand, high your right hand. 
¹⁴  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; 
          steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 
¹⁵  Happy are the people who know the festal shout, 
          who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance; 
¹⁶  they exult in your name all day long, 
          and extol your righteousness. 
¹⁷  For you are the glory of their strength;
          by your favor our horn is exalted. 
¹⁸  For our shield belongs to the LORD, 
          our king to the Holy One of Israel.

__________________________________

Luke 7:18–35

¹⁸The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"²⁰When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'" ²¹Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind.²²And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. ²³And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

 

²⁴When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one about whom it is written,

 

'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' ²⁸I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." ²⁹(And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John's baptism. ³⁰But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves.)

 

³¹"To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

 

'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.' ³³For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'; ³⁴the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' ³⁵Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

Psalm 42 and Luke 7:1-17

Psalm 42

1   As a deer longs for flowing streams,
          so my soul longs for you, O God.
2   My soul thirsts for God,
          for the living God.
     When shall I come and behold
          the face of God?
3   My tears have been my food
          day and night,
     while people say to me continually,
          “Where is your God?”

4   These things I remember,
          as I pour out my soul:
     how I went with the throng,
          and led them in procession to the house of God,
     with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
          a multitude keeping festival.
5   Why are you cast down, O my soul,
          and why are you disquieted within me?
     Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
          my help 6and my God.

     My soul is cast down within me;
          therefore I remember you
     from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
          from Mount Mizar.
7   Deep calls to deep
          at the thunder of your cataracts;
     all your waves and your billows
          have gone over me.
8   By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
          and at night his song is with me,
          a prayer to the God of my life.

9   I say to God, my rock,
          “Why have you forgotten me?
     Why must I walk about mournfully
          because the enemy oppresses me?”
10  As with a deadly wound in my body,
          my adversaries taunt me,
     while they say to me continually,
          “Where is your God?”

11  Why are you cast down, O my soul,
          and why are you disquieted within me?
     Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

          my help and my God.

____________________________________________________________

Luke 7:1-17

1 After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." 6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. 

 

11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!" 17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

Psalm 145 and Luke 6:39-49

PSALM 145

¹   I will extol you, my God and King,
          and bless your name forever and ever.
²   Every day I will bless you,
          and praise your name forever and ever.
³   Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
          his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴   One generation shall laud your works to another,
          and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵   On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
          and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶   The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
          and I will declare your greatness.
⁷   They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
          and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸   The Lord is gracious and merciful,
          slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹   The Lord is good to all,
          and his compassion is over all that he has made.

¹⁰  All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
          and all your faithful shall bless you.
¹¹  They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
          and tell of your power,
¹²  to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
          and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
          and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

     The Lord is faithful in all his words,
          and gracious in all his deeds.
¹⁴  The Lord upholds all who are falling,
          and raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵  The eyes of all look to you,
          and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶  You open your hand,
          satisfying the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷  The Lord is just in all his ways,
          and kind in all his doings.
¹⁸  The Lord is near to all who call on him,
          to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹  He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
          he also hears their cry, and saves them.
²⁰  The Lord watches over all who love him,
          but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹  My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
          and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

___________________________________

 LUKE 6:39–49

³⁹He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. ⁴¹Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴²Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.

⁴³"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; ⁴⁴for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

⁴⁶"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you? ⁴⁷I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. ⁴⁸That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."

Psalm 84 and Acts 21:37-40; 22:1-16

Psalm 84

¹   How lovely is your dwelling place,
          O LORD of hosts!
²   My soul longs, indeed it faints
          for the courts of the LORD;
     my heart and my flesh sing for joy
          to the living God.

³   Even the sparrow finds a home,
          and the swallow a nest for herself,
          where she may lay her young,
     at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
          my King and my God.
⁴   Happy are those who live in your house,
          ever singing your praise. Selah

⁵   Happy are those whose strength is in you,
          in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
⁶   As they go through the valley of Baca
          they make it a place of springs;
          the early rain also covers it with pools.
⁷   They go from strength to strength;
          the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

⁸   O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
          give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
⁹   Behold our shield, O God;
          look on the face of your anointed.

¹⁰  For a day in your courts is better
          than a thousand elsewhere.
     I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
          than live in the tents of wickedness.
¹¹  For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
          he bestows favor and honor.
     No good thing does the LORD withhold
          from those who walk uprightly.
¹²  O LORD of hosts,
          happy is everyone who trusts in you.

_________________________________

Acts 21:37-40; 22:1-16

³⁷Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, "May I say something to you?" The tribune replied, "Do you know Greek?³⁸Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?" ³⁹Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people." ⁴⁰When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

¹"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you."

²When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then he said:

³"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. ⁴I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, ⁵as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.

⁶"While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' ⁸I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' Then he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' ⁹Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.' ¹¹Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.

¹²"A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there,¹³came to me; and standing beside me, he said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight!' In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. ¹⁴Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; ¹⁵for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.'

Psalm 116 and Luke 6:1-11

Psalm 116

¹   I love the LORD, because he has heard
          my voice and my supplications.
²   Because he inclined his ear to me,
          therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
³   The snares of death encompassed me;
          the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
          I suffered distress and anguish.
⁴   Then I called on the name of the LORD:
          “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”

⁵   Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
          our God is merciful.
⁶   The LORD protects the simple;
          when I was brought low, he saved me.
⁷   Return, O my soul, to your rest,
          for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

⁸   For you have delivered my soul from death,
          my eyes from tears,
          my feet from stumbling.
⁹   I walk before the LORD
          in the land of the living.
¹⁰  I kept my faith, even when I said,
          “I am greatly afflicted”;
¹¹  I said in my consternation,
          “Everyone is a liar.”

¹²  What shall I return to the LORD
          for all his bounty to me?
¹³   I will lift up the cup of salvation
          and call on the name of the LORD,
¹⁴  I will pay my vows to the LORD
          in the presence of all his people.
¹⁵  Precious in the sight of the LORD
          is the death of his faithful ones.
¹⁶  O LORD, I am your servant;
          I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
          You have loosed my bonds.
¹⁷  I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
          and call on the name of the LORD.
¹⁸  I will pay my vows to the LORD
          in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹  in the courts of the house of the LORD,
          in your midst, O Jerusalem.
     Praise the LORD!

___________________________________________________

Luke 6:1-11

¹One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. ²But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?"³Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?" ⁵Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."

⁶On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. ⁷The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. ⁸Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." He got up and stood there. ⁹Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?" ¹⁰After looking around at all of them, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was restored. ¹¹But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus

Psalm 96 and Luke 5:27-39

Psalm 96

1   O sing to the LORD a new song;
          sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2   Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
          tell of his salvation from day to day.
3   Declare his glory among the nations,
          his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4   For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
          he is to be revered above all gods.
5   For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
          but the LORD made the heavens.
6   Honor and majesty are before him;
          strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7   Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
          ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8   Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
          bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9   Worship the LORD in holy splendor;
          tremble before him, all the earth.

10  Say among the nations, “The LORD is king!
          The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
          He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
          let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12       let the field exult, and everything in it.
     Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13       before the LORD; for he is coming,
          for he is coming to judge the earth.
     He will judge the world with righteousness,

          and the peoples with his truth.

_________________________________________________________

Luke 5:27-39

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him. 

 

29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance." 

 

33 Then they said to him, "John's disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink." 34 Jesus said to them, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." 36 He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good.'"