The Daily Lectionary for SATURDAY, June 22, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

SATURDAY, June 22, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 22:19-28

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
     O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
     my life from the power of the dog!
21   Save me from the mouth of the lion!

   From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
     in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
     All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
     stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor
     the affliction of the afflicted;
   he did not hide his face from me,
     but heard when I cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
     my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
     those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
     May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
     and turn to the Lord;
   and all the families of the nations
     shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
     and he rules over the nations.

Isaiah 59:1-8

Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished
59:1 See, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save,
     nor his ear too dull to hear.
2  Rather, your iniquities have been barriers
     between you and your God,
   and your sins have hidden his face from you
     so that he does not hear.
3  For your hands are defiled with blood,
     and your fingers with iniquity;
   your lips have spoken lies,
     your tongue mutters wickedness.
4  No one brings suit justly,
     no one goes to law honestly;
   they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
     conceiving mischief and begetting iniquity.
5  They hatch adders’ eggs,
     and weave the spider’s web;
   whoever eats their eggs dies,
     and the crushed egg hatches out a viper.
6  Their webs cannot serve as clothing;
     they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
   Their works are works of iniquity,
     and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7  Their feet run to evil,
     and they rush to shed innocent blood;
   their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
     desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8  The way of peace they do not know,
     and there is no justice in their paths.
   Their roads they have made crooked;
     no one who walks in them knows peace.

Matthew 9:27-34

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, “See that no one knows of this.” 31 But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district.

Jesus Heals One Who Was Mute
32 After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.”

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
Two blind men cut off from their society, and from the sight of the glory of God's creation, saw an opportunity. What they could not physically see, they saw by a vision that was stronger than what mere eyes could ever have beheld.