Tuesday, June 13, 2023

The Daily Lectionary for Wednesday, June 14, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 12:1-8
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 119:41-48
Salvation in God’s promise
Et veniat super me

Let your loving-kindness come to me, O LORD, *
  and your salvation, according to your promise.

Then shall I have a word for those who taunt me, *
  because I trust in your words.

Do not take the word of truth out of my mouth, *
  for my hope is in your judgments.

I shall continue to keep your law; *
  I shall keep it for ever and ever.

I will walk at liberty, *
  because I study your commandments.

I will tell of your decrees before kings *
  and will not be ashamed.

I delight in your commandments, *
  which I have always loved.

I will lift up my hands to your commandments, *
  and I will meditate on your statutes.

Heavenly Father, as we begin a new week, we recommit ourselves to You, to Your only begotten Son, to observing Your word, and to trusting in the Holy Spirit, Who will counsel and empower us daily. Give us a greater love for Your word written, so we will spend more time in the study of the Scriptures, time that You and Your word deserve. As we pray for others to come to know Your Son, the only Way of Salvation, help us serve You better as faithful witnesses of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave His life to save us from sin and 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.”
Genesis 18:16-33
The depravity of Sodom

When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.


Matthew 12:1-8
Mercy not sacrifice

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”


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, June 14, 2023
Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 12:1-8

The Morning Prayer for Wednesday, June 14, 2023

 

The Morning Prayer
Wednesday, June 14, 2023


In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Lord our God, in the grace of Jesus Christ we pray to you that your will may be done for us and for all the world. Through Jesus Christ grant us faith that you love us, faith that we may live in your love, that we may hope in your love every day and have peace on earth, where there is so much unrest and trouble. Keep us firm and constant, remaining in your peace and in the inner quiet you give us because Jesus Christ has overcome the world. He has truly overcome, and this fills us with joy. We praise you, Almighty God, that you have sent Jesus Christ and that he has overcome the world. We praise you that he has overcome all evil, sin, and death, and that we may rejoice at all times in your presence. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Wednesday, June 14, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Wednesday, June 14, 2023


Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
As believers, sometimes the way the world functions may seem strange—even unconscionable. And often, we may be persecuted for our relationship with Jesus and the stand we take for what is right (Mark 13:13; John 15:18–20; 1 Pet. 4:12, 13; 1 John 3:13). But do not be discouraged—we are not home yet (John 14:2; 2 Cor. 5:8; Heb. 11:13).

Read all of Philippians Chapter 3

Listen to Philippians Chapter 3


Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.