The Daily Lectionary for Saturday, February 4, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Psalm 112:1-9 [10]; Isaiah 29:13-16; Mark 7:1-8
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 112:1-9 [10]
Light shines in the darkness
Beatus vir

Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord
and have great delight in his commandments!

Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches will be in their house,
and their righteousness will last for ever.

Light shines in the darkness for the upright;
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

It is good for them to be generous in lending
and to manage their affairs with justice.

For they will never be shaken;
the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

They will not be afraid of any evil rumors;
their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord.

Their heart is established and will not shrink,
until they see their desire upon their enemies.

They have given freely to the poor,
and their righteousness stands fast for ever; they will hold up their head with honor.

[The wicked will see it and be angry; they will gnash their teeth and pine away;
the desires of the wicked will perish.]

Lord Jesus, we delight in all of Your commandments. We love You with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We love Your Father, our Heavenly Father, and we thank Him for sending You into the world to save us from our sins. We love the Holy Spirit, Who helps us understand the way that we should go as we study the Scriptures. Help us to love our neighbors and even our enemies, as You have commanded. Help us to love one another, as You have loved us. Now hear our prayers as You taught us to pray:

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Isaiah 29:13-16
Hearts far from God

13 The Lord says:

   “These people come near to me with their mouth
      and honor me with their lips,
      but their hearts are far from me.
   Their worship of me
      is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
      with wonder upon wonder;
   the wisdom of the wise will perish,
      the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
15 Woe to those who go to great depths
      to hide their plans from the Lord,
   who do their work in darkness and think,
      “Who sees us? Who will know?”
16 You turn things upside down,
      as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
   Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
      “You did not make me”?
   Can the pot say to the potter,
      “You know nothing”?

Mark 7:1-8
The hypocrisy of lip service

7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

  “‘These people honor me with their lips,
     but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
     their teachings are merely human rules.’

8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

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 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. 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
The Daily Lectionary for Saturday, February 4, 2023
Psalm 112:1-9 [10]; Isaiah 29:13-16; Mark 7:1-8