The Daily Lectionary for Wednesday, February 15, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Psalm 119:9-16; Proverbs 2:1-15; Matthew 19:1-12
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 119:9-16
I delight in the law
In quo corrigit?

How shall a young man cleanse his way?
By keeping to your words.

With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commandments.

I treasure your promise in my heart,
that I may not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD;
instruct me in your statutes.

With my lips will I recite
all the judgments of your mouth.

I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees
than in all manner of riches.

I will meditate on your commandments
and give attention to your ways.

My delight is in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

Heavenly Father, especially during this Advent and Christmas season, with all our heart we seek a deeper and more personal relationship with You. When tempted, help us remember Your commandments. When temptations bear heavily upon us, by Your Spirit give us the power to see and follow the way of escape You have prepared for us. As we read and study the Scriptures, please implant Your truth in our hearts and minds so we will choose the right ways to follow You. Truly, help us see the value of learning more of the Bible’s teachings so we can show others Jesus Christ and His love through our actions and words. For the sake of His glorious kingdom,  Amen. 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.”

Proverbs 2:1-15
The way of wisdom

1 My son, if you accept my words
     and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
     and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
     and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
     and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
     and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
     from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
     he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
     and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just
     and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
      and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
      and understanding will guard you.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
      from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
      to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
      and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
      and who are devious in their ways.

Matthew 19:1-12
Jesus teaches about divorce

19:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

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 Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Psalm 119:9-16; Proverbs 2:1-15; Matthew 19:1-12