Psalm 84 and Luke 19:28-40

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.

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LUKE 19:28–40

²⁸After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

 

²⁹When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'"³²So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. ³³As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"³⁴They said, "The Lord needs it." ³⁵Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.³⁷As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, ³⁸saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" ³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." ⁴⁰He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

Deuteronomy 8:7-18 and Psalm 65

DEUTERONOMY 8:7–18

⁷For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, ⁸a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. ¹⁰You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.

 

¹¹Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today.¹²When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, ¹³and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, ¹⁴then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, ¹⁶and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. ¹⁷Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” ¹⁸But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

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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.

Psalm 96 and Luke 19:1-10

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.

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LUKE 19:1–10

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." 9 Then Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Psalm 36 and Luke 18:31-43

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.

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LUKE 18:31–43

³¹Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ³²For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon.³³After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again." ³⁴But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

 

³⁵As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening.³⁷They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." ³⁸Then he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" ³⁹Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" ⁴⁰Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him,⁴¹"What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me see again."⁴²Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has saved you." ⁴³Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Psalm 145 and Luke 18:15–30

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.

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LUKE 18:15–30

¹⁵People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. ¹⁶But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁷Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."

 

¹⁸A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" ¹⁹Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.'" ²¹He replied, "I have kept all these since my youth." ²²When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." ²³But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. ²⁴Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

 

²⁶Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" ²⁷He replied, 'What is impossible for mortals is possible for God."

 

²⁸Then Peter said, "Look, we have left our homes and followed you." ²⁹And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."

Psalm 6 and Luke 18:1–8

PSALM 6

¹   O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, 
          or discipline me in your wrath. 
²   Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; 
          O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. 
³   My soul also is struck with terror, 
          while you, O LORD — how long?

⁴   Turn, O LORD, save my life; 
          deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love. 
⁵   For in death there is no remembrance of you; 
          in Sheol who can give you praise?

⁶   I am weary with my moaning; 
          every night I flood my bed with tears; 
          I drench my couch with my weeping. 
⁷   My eyes waste away because of grief;
          they grow weak because of all my foes.

⁸   Depart from me, all you workers of evil, 
          for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. 
⁹   The LORD has heard my supplication;
          the LORD accepts my prayer. 
¹⁰  All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror; 
          they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

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LUKE 18:1–8

¹Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. ²He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. ³In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' ⁴For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" ⁶And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.⁷And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? ⁸I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Psalm 116 and Luke 17:20-21

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!

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LUKE 17:20–21

²⁰Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; ²¹nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you."

Psalm 65 and James 3:13-4:12

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.

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JAMES 3:13-4:12

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.¹⁵Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

 

¹Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ²You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. ⁴Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? ⁶But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

 

¹¹Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.¹²There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?

Psalm 99 and Luke 17:4-6

PSALM 99

¹   The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble! 
          He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 
²   The LORD is great in Zion; 
          he is exalted over all the peoples. 
³   Let them praise your great and awesome name. 
          Holy is he! 
⁴   Mighty King, lover of justice, 
          you have established equity; 
     you have executed justice 
          and righteousness in Jacob. 
⁵   Extol the LORD our God; 
          worship at his footstool. 
          Holy is he! 

⁶   Moses and Aaron were among his priests, 
          Samuel also was among those who called on his name. 
          They cried to the LORD, and he answered them. 
⁷   He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; 
          they kept his decrees, 
          and the statutes that he gave them.

⁸   O LORD our God, you answered them; 
          you were a forgiving God to them, 
          but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 
⁹   Extol the LORD our God, 
          and worship at his holy mountain; 
          for the LORD our God is holy.

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LUKE 17:4-6

⁴And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive."

 

⁵The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" ⁶The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Psalm 57 and James 2:14–26

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.

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JAMES 2:14–26

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?¹⁷So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

 

¹⁸But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. ¹⁹You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder. ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. ²³Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? ²⁶For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

Psalm 130 and James 1:16–25

PSALM 130

¹   Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
²       Lord, hear my voice!
     Let your ears be attentive
          to the voice of my supplications!

³   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
          Lord, who could stand?
⁴   But there is forgiveness with you,
          so that you may be revered.

⁵   I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
          and in his word I hope;
⁶   my soul waits for the Lord
          more than those who watch for the morning,
          more than those who watch for the morning.

⁷   O Israel, hope in the LORD!
          For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
          and with him is great power to redeem.
⁸   It is he who will redeem Israel
          from all its iniquities.

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JAMES 1:16–27

¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved.

¹⁷Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ¹⁸In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

¹⁹You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. ²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

²²But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act - they will be blessed in their doing.

Psalm 36 and Joel 2:21-27

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.

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JOEL 2:21–27
21 Do not fear, O soil;
     be glad and rejoice,
     for the LORD has done great things!
22 Do not fear, you animals of the field,
     for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit,
     the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 O children of Zion, be glad
     and rejoice in the LORD your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
     he has poured down for you abundant rain,
     the early and the later rain, as before.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
     the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will repay you for the years
     that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
     my great army, which I sent against you.

26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
     and praise the name of the LORD your God,
     who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
     and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Joel 2:12–19 and Luke 15:1–10

JOEL 2:12–19

12 Yet even now, says the LORD,
     return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
     for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
     and relents from punishing.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
     and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
     for the LORD, your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
     sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16     gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
     assemble the aged;
gather the children,
     even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
     and the bride her canopy.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar
     let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD,
     and do not make your heritage a mockery,
     a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
     'Where is their God?'"

18 Then the LORD became jealous for his land,
     and had pity on his people.
19 In response to his people the LORD said:
I am sending you
     grain, wine, and oil,
     and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you

a mockery among the nations

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LUKE 15:1–10
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3 So he told them this parable: 4 "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8 "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Psalm 123 and Revelation 19:5-10

PSALM 123

¹   To you I lift up my eyes, 
          O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 
²   As the eyes of servants 
          look to the hand of their master, 
     as the eyes of a maid 
          to the hand of her mistress, 
     so our eyes look to the LORD our God, 
          until he has mercy upon us.

³   Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, 
          for we have had more than enough of contempt. 
⁴   Our soul has had more than its fill 
          of the scorn of those who are at ease, 

          of the contempt of the proud.

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REVELATION 19:5-10

⁵And from the throne came a voice saying, 
     "Praise our God, 
          all you his servants, 
     and all who fear him, 
          small and great." 
⁶Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, 
     "Hallelujah! 
     For the Lord our God 
          the Almighty reigns. 
⁷   Let us rejoice and exult 
          and give him the glory, 
     for the marriage of the Lamb has come, 
          and his bride has made herself ready; 
⁸   to her it has been granted to be clothed 
          with fine linen, bright and pure" — 
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

 

⁹And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are true words of God." ¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Psalm 135 and Luke 14:12-24

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!

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LUKE 14:12–24

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." 

15 One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' 20 Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room." 23 Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

Psalm 51 and Psalm 142

PSALM 51

¹   Have mercy on me, O God, 
          according to your steadfast love; 
     according to your abundant mercy 
          blot out my transgressions. 
²   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 
          and cleanse me from my sin.

³   For I know my transgressions, 
          and my sin is ever before me. 
⁴   Against you, you alone, have I sinned, 
          and done what is evil in your sight, 
     so that you are justified in your sentence 
          and blameless when you pass judgment. 

⁵   Indeed, I was born guilty, 
          a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶   You desire truth in the inward being; 
          therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 
⁷   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; 
          wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
⁸   Let me hear joy and gladness; 
          let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 
⁹   Hide your face from my sins, 
          and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God, 
          and put a new and right spirit within me. 
¹¹  Do not cast me away from your presence, 
          and do not take your holy spirit from me. 
¹²  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 
          and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 
          and sinners will return to you. 
¹⁴  Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, 
          O God of my salvation, 
          and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵  O Lord, open my lips, 
          and my mouth will declare your praise. 
¹⁶  For you have no delight in sacrifice; 
          if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. 
¹⁷  The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; 
          a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; 
          rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 
¹⁹  then you will delight in right sacrifices, 
          in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; 
          then bulls will be offered on your altar.

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PSALM 142

¹   With my voice I cry to the LORD; 
          with my voice I make supplication to the LORD. 
²   I pour out my complaint before him; 
          I tell my trouble before him. 
³   When my spirit is faint, 
          you know my way.

     In the path where I walk 
          they have hidden a trap for me. 
⁴   Look on my right hand and see — 
          there is no one who takes notice of me; 
     no refuge remains to me; 
          no one cares for me.

⁵   I cry to you, O LORD; 
          I say, “You are my refuge, 
          my portion in the land of the living.” 
⁶   Give heed to my cry, 
          for I am brought very low.

     Save me from my persecutors, 
          for they are too strong for me. 
⁷   Bring me out of prison, 
          so that I may give thanks to your name. 
     The righteous will surround me, 
          for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 97 and Luke 13:18–30

PSALM 97 
1   The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;
          let the many coastlands be glad!
2   Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
          righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3   Fire goes before him,
          and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4   His lightnings light up the world;
          the earth sees and trembles.
5   The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
          before the Lord of all the earth.

6   The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
          and all the peoples behold his glory.
7   All worshipers of images are put to shame,
          those who make their boast in worthless idols;
          all gods bow down before him.
8   Zion hears and is glad,
          and the towns of Judah rejoice,
          because of your judgments, O God.
9   For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
          you are exalted far above all gods.

10  The LORD loves those who hate evil;
          he guards the lives of his faithful;
          he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11  Light dawns for the righteous,
          and joy for the upright in heart.
12  Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
          and give thanks to his holy name!

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LUKE 13:18–30

18 He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." 

 

20 And again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." 

 

22 Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then in reply he will say to you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, 'I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!' 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."