Wednesday, January 23, 2019

The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, January 24, 2019

An Analogy from Marriage
Romans 7:1-6

The Daily Lectionary
THURSDAY, January 24, 2019
(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 19
God’s Glory in Creation and the Law
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1  The heavens are telling the glory of God;
     and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2  Day to day pours forth speech,
     and night to night declares knowledge.
3  There is no speech, nor are there words;
     their voice is not heard;
4  yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
     and their words to the end of the world.

   In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5  which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
     and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6  Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
     and its circuit to the end of them;
     and nothing is hid from its heat.

7  The law of the Lord is perfect,
     reviving the soul;
   the decrees of the Lord are sure,
     making wise the simple;
8  the precepts of the Lord are right,
     rejoicing the heart;
   the commandment of the Lord is clear,
     enlightening the eyes;
9  the fear of the Lord is pure,
     enduring forever;
   the ordinances of the Lord are true
     and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
     even much fine gold;
   sweeter also than honey,
     and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is your servant warned;
     in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors?
     Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
     do not let them have dominion over me.
   Then I shall be blameless,
     and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
     be acceptable to you,
     O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Isaiah 61:1-7
The Good News of Deliverance
1  The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
     because the Lord has anointed me;
   he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
     to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim liberty to the captives,
     and release to the prisoners;
2  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
     and the day of vengeance of our God;
     to comfort all who mourn;
3  to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
     to give them a garland instead of ashes,
   the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
     the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
   They will be called oaks of righteousness,
     the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
4  They shall build up the ancient ruins,
     they shall raise up the former devastations;
   they shall repair the ruined cities,
     the devastations of many generations.

5  Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
     foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines;
6  but you shall be called priests of the Lord,
     you shall be named ministers of our God;
   you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,
     and in their riches you shall glory.
7  Because their shame was double,
     and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot,
   therefore they shall possess a double portion;
     everlasting joy shall be theirs.

Romans 7:1-6
An Analogy from Marriage
7:1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only during that person’s lifetime? 2 Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.

4 In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in square brackets.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only during that person’s lifetime?

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