Readings for Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle A s2

Readings for Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle B

Prepared by Lutheran Bible Ministries (www.bibleministries.org)

November 1, 2015

Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (Pr. 26, L31)

The alternative semi-continuous First Reading and associated Psalmody follow the regular readings.

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

The LORD told me to give you these laws and teachings, so you can obey them in the land he is giving you. Soon you will cross the Jordan River and take that land. 2And if you and your descendants want to live a long time, you must always worship the LORD and obey his laws. 3Pay attention, Israel! Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he promised to give us this land that is rich with milk and honey. Be careful to obey him, and you will become a successful and powerful nation.
4Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God! 5So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. 6Memorize his laws 7and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. 8Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. 9Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.

PSALMODY: Psalm 119:1-8

1Our LORD, you bless everyone
who lives right and obeys your Law.
2You bless all of those
who follow your commands from deep in their hearts
3and who never do wrong or turn from you.
4You have ordered us always to obey your teachings;
5I don't ever want to stray from your laws.
6Thinking about your commands
will keep me from doing some foolish thing.
7I will do right and praise you
by learning to respect your perfect laws.
8I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 9:11-14

11Christ came as the high priest of the good things that are now here. He also went into a much better tent that wasn't made by humans and that doesn't belong to this world. 12Then Christ went once for all into the most holy place and freed us from sin forever. He did this by offering his own blood instead of the blood of goats and bulls.
13According to the Law of Moses, those people who become unclean are not fit to worship God. Yet they will be considered clean, if they are sprinkled with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf. 14But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That's why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.

GOSPEL: Mark 12:28-34

28One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, "What is the most important commandment?"
29Jesus answered, "The most important one says: 'People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. 30You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.' 31The second most important commandment says: 'Love others as much as you love yourself.' No other commandment is more important than these."
32The man replied, "Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. 33It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make."
34When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, "You are not far from God's kingdom." After this, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.

Semi-continuous readings follow.

FIRST READING: Ruth 1:1-18

1-2Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there, 3Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.
4Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later, 5Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.
6-7When Naomi heard that the LORD had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there, 8Naomi said to them, "Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the LORD will be just as kind to you. 9May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own."
Naomi kissed them. They cried 10and said, "We want to go with you and live among your people."
11But she replied, "My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry? 12You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons, 13would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the LORD has turned against me."
14They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth held on to her. 15Naomi then said to Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?"
16Ruth answered,

"Please don't tell me to leave you and return home!
I will go where you go, I will live where you live;
your people will be my people,
your God will be my God.
17I will die where you die and be buried beside you.
May the LORD punish me if we are ever separated,
even by death!"

18When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.

PSALMODY: Psalm 146

1Shout praises to the LORD!
With all that I am, I will shout his praises.
2I will sing
and praise the LORD God for as long as I live.
3You can't depend on anyone, not even a great leader.
4Once they die and are buried,
that will be the end of all their plans.
5The LORD God of Jacob blesses everyone
who trusts him and depends on him.
6God made heaven and earth;
he created the sea and everything else.
God always keeps his word.
7He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free 8and heals blind eyes.
He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls.
The LORD loves good people 9and looks after strangers.
He defends the rights of orphans and widows,
but destroys the wicked.
10The LORD God of Zion will rule forever!
Shout praises to the LORD!