Lectionary Aids from the Sixth Sunday of Easter through Ordinary Time 17, Year C
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C, May 5, 2013
Acts 16:9-15—This is the ongoing saga of Paul’s journeys. This story introduces Lydia, who hosts Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
Psalm 67—A lovely Psalm with the refrain “Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you.” The first verse might recall the Aaronic Blessing (Num. 6:23-27), but the Psalm seems to apply the glory and the call to praise to all the nations, including the gentiles.
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5—Here is the beautiful image of the New Jerusalem. There are very clear parallels to the vision of the New Temple in Ezekiel (Ezek. 40-42), and striking differences as well. Note that in the New Jerusalem, there is no Temple at all. God and the Lamb are the Temple. Also, note the parallels with Isaiah 60, a passage looking forward to God’s universal application of unity, peace, and salvation.
John 14:23-29—This is a scene from the Last Supper in John, called the Farewell Discourse, in which Jesus looks forward to the Ascension and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Lectionary provides this as a clear shift to the Holy Days fast approaching.
John 5:1-9—Here is the narrative of Jesus healing the man at Bethzatha. This reading would make a strange break from the continuation of the readings on 5 Easter and 7 Easter, and fails to respect the liturgical arch of the lectionary. It may be that the Lectionary wants to draw parallels between the river of the water of life in the New Jerusalem and the pool at Bethzatha. All such connections are tenuous at best, though other lectionaries have tried to make similar connections.
The Ascension of the Lord
Acts 1:1-11—Acts gives us the 40-day timeline from Easter to Ascension. It also places the Ascension as a marker for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the formation of the Church, and as a window into the future hope of Christ’s return.
Psalm 47—A song of praise and call to praise for the awesome God who has gone up with a shout. The “going up” connection to the Ascension might be thought of as a pun more than any sort of linked reference. Probably more important is the theme of gathering and reigning among the diversity of nations. This looks forward to Pentecost, which is one of the important themes of the Ascension.
Psalm 93—The Lord is King and has his throne which has been long established. A Christocentric reading here might indicate that Jesus returns to his rightful place on his throne.
Ephesians 1:15-23. The working of God’s great power is that God raised Christ from the dead and placed him at God’s right hand in glory, above all. This section also indicates the Church’s role as the body of Christ, “the fullness of him who fills all in all” (v23). The Post-Ascension Church is the one living as the Body of Christ. Teresa of Avila’s famous amplification of this sentiment seems quite accurate.
Luke 22:44-53—Luke’s narrative of the Ascension points out that the disciples witness the Ascension, and their response is worship. This narrative too, though, points beyond the Ascension to Pentecost. If anyone was asking, “What next?” the lections for the day give the answer. Jesus had gone to his rightful place, the disciples wait and worship, and soon the Holy Spirit will come and create the Church.
Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year C, May 12, 2013
Acts 16:16-34—This reading picks up where we were last with Paul in Philippi, after Paul exorcizes a possessed woman to alleviate his annoyance with her. This causes all sorts of trouble, landing Paul and Silas in jail. The two take their time in jail as an opportunity to evangelize, capitalizing on God’s providential earthquake.
Psalm 97—This Psalm proclaims the power and status of God over the entire world and the idols of foreign lands.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21—The closing section of Revelation shares the promise of Christ’s return. The dominant word in the passage is “come”, and looks for the final act of unification between God and Creation. This fits well with Jesus’ prayer in today’s Gospel text.
John 17:20-26—This is a section of the High Priestly Prayer, the final prayer at the Last Supper. Unity is the predominant theme unity between Jesus and his Father and unity between the disciples. Jesus prays for future believers that they might also be one with one another and with God. This is one formulation of the grand mission of God, the Missio Dei, to bring all persons together in unity with one another and with God in Christ. Jesus’ hope for this unification includes the imagery of all people being with Jesus where he is the Church.
Day of Pentecost, Year C, May 19, 2013
Acts 2:1-21—This is the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The language of this divine encounter is specifically metaphorical, and paints a vivid picture. This is, for some, the story of the birth of the Church. However, it seems clear that Peter had more in mind as he attaches the coming of the Spirit to the prophecy of Joel in which all people are given the gift of prophesy. This is a prophecy about the coming of the “great and terrible day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31).
Genesis 11:1-9—Genesis tells us another story about diversity of language, the story of Babel. Typologically this indicates that the Spirit puts back together the universal communication that humans once used to grasp for heaven. At Pentecost, the difficulties of diverse human languages are eliminated as God acts to enlighten (rather than confuse) and gather (rather than scatter). The Lectionary mandates that if Genesis is used as the first reading, Acts must be used for the second.
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b—A psalm that glorifies God’s sovereignty over all aspects of life and death.
Romans 8:14-17—Paul’s doctrine of the Spirit includes the giving of the Spirit for intercession (see 8:26ff), and this Spirit is actively crying out alongside God’s children. It is a Spirit that unites us with Christ as joint heirs of God, suffering with Christ that we might be glorified in Christ. The mechanism for this gift of the spirit might be understood to be baptism (Rom. 6:5), through which we are given this Spirit of adoption.
John 14:8-17, (25-27)—At the Last Supper, Jesus promises the coming of the Advocate (Paraclete) who will abide with the disciples, teach them “everything”, and remind them of Jesus and Jesus’ words. In the same passage, the Farewell Discourse, Jesus will also attribute these verbs to the Advocate: to testify (15:26), to convict (16:8ff–convicting the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment), to guide into all truth (16:13), to speak (16:13), and to glorify Jesus (16:14). These verses will come on Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday, Year C, May 26, 2013
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31—A hymn to wisdom, created before the first acts of Creation. Wisdom is seen as the master worker putting together the world and the human race.
Psalm 8—God, the sovereign (the governor), is praised for the works of creation.
Romans 5:1-5—An economic view of the Trinity, Paul indicates that justification comes through faith (or faithfulness) through Jesus and that hope comes through the love God pours into our hearts through the Spirit.
John 16:12-15—This is a continuation of the Farewell Discourse. Jesus reflects on the activity of the Spirit in relation to the Son and the Father: the Spirit glorifies the Son, taking what is Christ’s and declaring it to the Father. Jesus further reflects that all the Father has is the Son’s. The reciprocity depicted in these verses is astonishing considering the relatively early provenance (relative to the Ecumenical Councils).
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, Year C, May 31, 2013
1 Samuel 2:1-10—The Song of Hannah is magnificent in its structure and scope. This is especially true when it is seen alongside the Song of Mary in Luke. Also, one should note that the English translations normally obscure the way that Hebrew highlights the verb in each line of Hannah’s song. This is a normal feature of Hebrew, and might not indicate special emphasis on the action, but it does affect the reading.
Psalm 113—This Psalm picks up the theme of God lifting up the lowly and further emphasizes the trope of God giving children to the childless.
Romans 12:9-16b—As the Epistle to the Romans begins to address ethical concerns within the Roman House churches, Paul’s instructions turn toward equality and a startlingly egalitarian view on the life of the Church. Here Paul instructs everyone to a higher level sharing. Particularly notable on this occasion is the last verse of the passage, in which Paul instructs that believers should associate (be carried away) with the lowly.
Luke 1:39-57—In this beautiful passage of poetic verse, Mary sings the praises of God much in the same way that Hannah did. Whereas the verb-first structure of Hebrew is not necessarily notable, in Luke’s Greek the structure is notable. It could be that Luke was concerned with making Mary’s song match Hannah’s. It might also be the case that the syntax is designed to highlight the action of God. English syntax prevents this structure, but pastors would be wise to reflect on the verbs of the Magnificat.
Season After Pentecost
Beginning with this Sunday’s reading the Lectionary moves to its summer schedule of providing two tracks of readings. Track I is a semi-continuous reading highlighting, this year, the stories of the prophets. Track II is thematically linked to the Gospel reading for the day.
Proper 4, Year C, June 2, 2013
1 Kings 18:20-21, (22-29), 30-39—Elijah faces off with the prophets of Baal who have been leading away some Israelites. Baal does not answer his prophets’ cry to burn the sacrifice, but the God of the Israelites does. The passage is full of symbolism and a call for the Israelites to return. The end, that God “turned their hearts back” (v37) is more important than proof of the Lord’s power or even God’s existence. Also of interest, this demonstration wastes a great deal of water and food during a severe drought and famine. The apparent waste of the bulls and water is not noticed when compared to the glory of God turning the hearts of God’s people.
Psalm 96—“The gods of the peoples are but idols,” says the Psalmist. This is thematically linked to the preceding story, and calls the people to worship the true God of heaven and earth, the one coming to judge the world with righteousness and truth.
1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43—Solomon stands before the altar in the first Temple and prays that the Temple might be the conduit for the prayers of God’s people and for foreigners as well, that all might know God’s name.
Psalm 96:1-9—This option curiously eliminates the final verses of the Psalm which would have aided in the theme of the call to worship for all the peoples of the Earth. Still, the first nine verses provide ample material to reinforce the theme. Especially note verse six, which places the Psalm’s setting in the Temple.
Galatians 1:1-12—This is the beginning of a semi-continuous reading of Galatians. Paul is sure to point out that the Gospel he proclaims is not of human origin, but rather he received it in his vision of Jesus (presumably on the road to Damascus).
Luke 7:1-10—The faith of the Centurion story in Luke is slightly different from that of Matthew (chapter 8). Interestingly, the Centurion’s request implies that Jesus must “speak the word”, but in this narrative Jesus does not say anything about healing the servant. Instead, the action is accomplished without words by the time the people return.
Proper 5, Year C, June 9, 2013
1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24)—The Hospitality of the gentile woman at Zarephath does not keep her son from falling ill and dying. Elijah calls out to God to resuscitate the child, and God does. The gentile woman knows then that Elijah is truly a prophet.
Psalm 146—This Psalm calls us to praise God while we live, and not to trust in worldly rulers. God is recalled as the one who gives justice to the oppressed, food to the hungry, freedom to the prisoner, sight to the blind, exaltation to the lowly, and love to the righteous. Additionally, the Psalmist recalls that God cares especially for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.
1 Kings 17:17-24—This option removes the setting for the miracle of the resuscitation of the gentile widow’s child. It seems that only the full reading from verse 8 to verse 24 would be sufficient for the day.
Psalm 30—God heals the Psalmist after he cried out to God, restoring life from death.
Galatians 1:11-14—This is the continuation from last week’s reading in Galatians. There is slight overlap. Paul retells his own story of becoming a follower of Jesus and his new calling in God. The tension between Paul and the other Apostles seems apparent in Paul’s writing—still the result is that the churches of Judea glorified God because of God’s work in Paul (though Paul uses a less humble phrase to illustrate their response).
Luke 7:11-17—This is the continuation of the readings from Luke last week. Jesus resuscitates a young man, the only son of a widow, in Nain. The parallels to the Elijah story are remarkable, though it is also notable that Nain is in Israel. This story also points to the raising of Jairus’ daughter and of Lazarus. Neither Greek nor Hebrew has vocabulary to differentiate between the raising of these and the raising of Jesus. In fact the vocabulary is so sparse that the command Jesus gives the young man is the same word as the proclamation of the crowd “A great prophet has risen…” (7:16). There is significant theological difference between this rising or standing, and that of Jesus.
Proper 6, Year C, June 16, 2013
1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a—Another scene in the Elijah narrative, today we read of Ahab and Naboth. Ahab wants Naboth’s property, but Naboth will not sell it to Ahab. Jezebel manipulates the situation and has Naboth killed. As Ahab goes to inhabit Naboth’s vineyard, Elijah arrives and promises: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood” (v19).
Psalm 5:1-8—The first half of this Psalm selection highlights the identity of God as one who does not delight in wickedness and evil. In the second part, the Psalmist (presumably David), sings of worshipping God and being led in the straight path of righteousness.
2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15—The Lectionary has us casually enter the story of David, Uriah, and Bathsheba. Just after Uriah is killed (due to David’s manipulation). What David did displeased God, and Nathan brings a parable to David to illustrate God’s anger. David admits his sin and Nathan pronounces forgiveness. However, the narrative indicates that God’s scorn was transferred from David to the child born to David and Bathsheba. The child died on the seventh day.
Psalm 32—“Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (v1). As a corollary to the 2 Samuel narrative above, this Psalm provides deeper theological introspection on the part of David. Unlike Psalm 51, this penitential Psalm does not have a superscript that sets the Psalm in the context of adultery with Bathsheba. Still, many have claimed that all of the Penitential Psalms have this story in their background.
Galatians 2:15-21—The “we” in verse one is at once Jewish believers and also especially Peter. Paul’s claim is that justification comes not through Law, but through faith in Jesus Christ (alternative translation: the faithfulness of Jesus Christ).
Luke 7:36-8:3—Jesus is invited to eat with Simon, the Pharisee. Not one to turn down a dinner invitation, Jesus goes to Simon’s house. A woman with an alabaster jar bathes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. She anoints his feet with her ointment. This causes a conflict with the Pharisee who questions Jesus because the woman touching him is a sinner. Jesus tells a parable to illustrate the origin of the woman’s gratitude. He pronounces that her sins, “which were many” are forgiven. This passage ends with Luke’s recalling that in addition to the twelve, there were some women following Jesus and “providing for them out of their resources.”
Proper 7, Year C, June 23, 2013
1 King 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a—Somewhat jarringly, this passage returns us to an early scene in the Elijah narrative. After the sacrificial demonstration of God at Mount Carmel, Elijah had the prophets of Baal executed at the Wadi Kishon. Ahab leaves Mount Carmel and returns to Jezebel, telling her what Elijah had done. Jezebel threatens Elijah’s life, and Elijah flees. An angel feeds Elijah, who then spends forty days and forty nights on Mount Horeb without food and water.
Elijah takes shelter in a cave when he has an encounter with God. God asks why Elijah is there. Elijah recalls to God the sorry state of the Israelites and how his own life is being threatened. God demonstrates great power through wind, earthquake, fire, and silence. After these, God again asks why Elijah is there. Elijah repeats his reasoning, and is then told to return.
Psalms 42 and 43—The Lectionary chooses to assign two Psalms, combined without break, for Proper 7, track A. The two Psalms flow well together, however Psalm 43 has no superscript and may not have been correctly identified as a separate Psalm. Note that 42:11 and 43:5 reinforce this notion. The Psalm connects well with the narrative of Elijah, who without water and food, tormented by enemies, and with downcast soul is hopeful for the future.
Isaiah 65:1-9—The Prophet has, in the preceding chapters, asked of God whether God will arrive to act in great power. Isaiah seems more concerned with God’s absence as a response to the sins of the people than the possibility of God’s judgment against them. Chapter 65 is God’s response: I attempted to be there, but the people were rebellious. They provoked God and were idolatrous, flaunting their syncretism. God promises to repay their full iniquity on them and their ancestors. But, God promises that there will be some servants who will inherit God’s blessing.
Psalm 22:19-28—Portions of this Psalm appear from time to time in the Lectionary, but only on Good Friday do we hear the full Psalm. This section especially focuses on the plea for God to be close and to aid, rather than be far off.
Galatians 3:23-29—In Jesus the means of justification have changed, but so have the privileges of society under baptism. Jews and Greeks, slaves or free, male and female are all offspring of Abraham, heirs according to the promise, clothed with Christ, and children of God. There is equality where there was once a privilege for Jews over Greeks, freepersons over slaves, and men over women. This inequality was guarded under Torah, but in Christ the children of God are no longer subject to that understanding. Would that the Church lived into this understanding fully!
Luke 8:26-39—This is the story of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac. This story is shrouded in ancient superstition and tradition, and there are slight differences between Luke’s version and the versions of Matthew (8:28-34) and Mark (5:1-20). It is interesting that the people’s response to the demoniac’s liberation is fear. They were quite comfortable with their seemingly endless pattern of keeping the demoniac on the outskirts of town and binding him from time to time to mitigate the damage he might do. To have him freed somehow caused a great fear.
Proper 8, Year C, June 30, 2013
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14—In the aftermath of Elijah’s encounter with God on Mount Horeb, Elijah calls Elisha to be his successor. Today’s narrative details the moment in which Elijah is called up to heaven and Elisha receives a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah ascends in a whirlwind, but Elisha does not take his eyes off of Elijah. He picks up the mantle of Elijah and calls on God to split the waters of the Jordan – recalling the powerful deeds of God through Elijah, Joshua, and Moses.
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20—God’s footprints are never seen, yet God has displayed God’s might among the peoples.
1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21—Oddly, Track B picks up where Track A left off in Proper 7. God promises Elijah that justice will be exacted politically and spiritually. God reveals the kings that God will appoint and promises Elisha as the prophet to succeed in Elijah’s stead. When Elijah calls Elisha, Elisha wishes to return to his family and allowed. Compare this to figure in Luke 9 who is not given permission to take care of family needs before following Jesus.
Psalm 16—This Psalm speaks out against idolatry with a delicate turn of imagery. The Psalmist will not pour out the libation of blood that the gentiles have offered. Instead, the Lord is his cup.
Galatians 5:1, 13-25—Paul once again declares universal freedom under Christ, but indicates that living as freed people is a process. There are still opportunities for freed people to bite one another and live in disunity. There are still opportunities for various works of the flesh, works of the old life before Christ. Paul indicates that we live by the Spirit, and calls us to also be guided by the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit, in contrast to the works of the flesh, is joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentles, and self-control.
Luke 9:51-62—The Lectionary frames the urgency of Jesus’ call to discipleship as the focal point of these Lessons. In contrast to the call of Elijah to Elisha, Jesus call requires an immediate response and an immediate departure from one’s previous agenda.
Proper 9, Year C, July 7, 2013
2 Kings 5:1-14—Naaman, an Aramean suffering from leprosy, is sent to Israel for healing. Elisha intercedes and tells Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan. Naaman is upset at the prescription. Using an a minore ad maius argument, his servants convince Naaman to wash. He does so and is healed.
Psalm 30—God heals the Psalmist who has called upon God. Beyond healing, though, God transforms mourning to dancing and sackcloth to clothing of joy.
Isaiah 66:10-14—God promises prosperity and comfort to Jerusalem. The imagery is lovely as God promises to comfort Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child. God promises to extend prosperity like an overflowing stream.
Psalm 66:1-9—With the deliverance at the Red Sea as a backdrop, this Psalm calls the people to praise God.
Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16—While there are many themes in this passage from Galatians, the most prominent is that protection of unity. Those who have sinned should be restored. Those who follow Christ should bear one another’s burdens. Paul urges the Galatians to be unified under the cross of Christ. As new creations, they are without the boundaries codified in the current creation.
The apparent contradiction of verses two and five might be best alleviated through tense. In verse two Paul uses an imperative, but in verse five the verb is in the future tense.
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20—Jesus sends out the seventy as evangelistic missionaries who travel to towns before Jesus arrives to prepare the soil. They are instructed not to take much with them and to both accept and give hospitality. When they encounter a city that is hostile to them, they are to move on, though with harsh words on their way out. The Lectionary omits the difficult verses that pronounce judgment on those towns, and the judgment is quite harsh. The return of the seventy is depicted with language from various apocalyptic sources. Jesus commands the seventy to rejoice that their names are written in heaven, not that they were victorious over demons.
Proper 10, Year C, July 14, 2013
Amos 7:7-17—The Lectionary moves to the narrative of the prophet Amos. In this section Amos depicts the vision that God gives him. God stands next to a wall with a plumb line in his hand. The apparent judgment of God is that the wall is not plumb and must be taken down. Amos pronounces God’s judgment on Israel and the pending disaster. The passage includes the response of Amaziah to Amos’ prophecy and Amos retelling his calling to prophesy against Israel.
Psalm 82—This Psalm seems to exhibit the henotheistic understanding of God among the council of deities. However, the God of Israel punishes the lower deities and pronounces their death for failing to administer justice to the perennially devalued: the weak, orphan, lowly, and destitute. The God of Israel will rise up to judge the nations.
Deuteronomy 30:9-14—A classic depiction of the theology in Deuteronomy, the passage promises prosperity for those who follow God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not at all distant; God’s word is near.
Psalm 25:1-10—The Psalmist asks God to teach him God’s paths and lead him in God’s truth. The parallel structure is beautiful as the verbs seem to be crossed, but are clearly intended to reinforce the shared meaning of God’s paths (ways) and God’s truth.
Colossians 1:1-14—The beginning of Paul’s letter to the Colossians indicates some of the trouble present in the church in Colossae. Paul reminds them of the Gospel they have received and encourages them to continue growing in the knowledge of God. It will become clear later (chapter two especially) that there are some spreading false knowledge in their community.
Luke 10:25-37—This passage, the parable of the Good Samaritan, appears only in Luke. It fits well with Luke’s concern for the mission to the gentiles. A recent short film, Luke (Chaney, 2004), captures the scandalous nature of the Parable. In the film, an American soldier is wounded and passed by. Only an Arab soldier stops to tend his wounds. In the aftermath of 9/11, this film seemed to capture the point of the parable: the kingdom of God is not characterized by tribalism, but by mercy.
Proper 11, Year C, July 21, 2013.
Amos 8:1-12—Amos continues to prophesy about God’s judgment. This time, the vision is of summer fruit (QYTZ). The fruit, QYTZ, and the “end”, QTZ, form a dark pun. The greedy behavior of merchants who buy the poor for a pair of sandals, and falsify the scales is cause for God’s punishment. Interestingly, God’s punishment is the removal of God’s word.
Psalm 52—In this Psalm, the identity of the “mighty one” is unclear. In any case, God will vindicate the Psalmist and break down the mighty one.
Genesis 18:1-10a—Abraham and Sarah give hospitality to the three angels of God at Mamre. One of the men promises that Sarah will soon have a son. The hospitality in this narrative is key.
Psalm 15—The ones who will have access to God’s dwelling place are the ones who act justly, particularly with regard to usury, slander, the upholding of oaths, and the protection of the innocent.
Colossians 1:15-28—Sometimes called the Colossian hymn, verses 15 through 20 maintain a remarkably high Christology. Jesus is the image of God, the firstborn of creation, the mechanism through which all of creation came to be, the head of the Church, the firstborn of the dead, and the conduit for reconciliation. This statement of who Christ is informs the believers in Colossae concerning their response: to present themselves holy and blameless before Christ.
Luke 10:38-42—In this Gospel passage, Mary is extolled for leaving behind her work in order to listen to Jesus. The Gospel lesson is brief, but full of meaning. For some, it may recall John 12:1-8 (see Maundy Thursday, Year C) in which Mary is once again correct in her seemingly bizarre action. Mary’s actions are correct because they have Jesus as their organizing principle and top priority.
Proper 12, Year C, July 28, 2013
Hosea 1:2-10—Hosea is called into prophecy first by God’s instruction to take a prostitute as his wife and raise a family. Hosea and Gomer have children: Jezreel (God sows), Lo-ruhamah (not pittied), and Lo-ammi (not my people). This passage, like many in Hosea, seems to both condemn and hold hope for future restoration.
Psalm 85—God is one who restores fortunes and forgives iniquity. The Psalmist prays that God will continue to do so, that God’s glory might dwell in their land.
Genesis 18:20-32—Abraham bargains with God to spare Sodom. Abraham is quite bold in his haggling. Eventually, Abraham gets God to agree that if God finds ten righteous persons, God will not destroy Sodom, but there is no indication as to why Abraham stopped bargaining at ten! Characteristically, the Lectionary omits the difficult text that follows.
Psalm 138—At the moment the Psalmist most needed God to answer, God did, increasing the strength of his soul. God fulfills God’s purpose and does not forsake God’s own works.
Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)—The crisis of the community in Colossae seems to be their relation to those teaching against the Gospel given to them, teaching human tradition and deceit. The remedy is recognition of who Christ is and who the community has come by participation in Christ.
Luke 11:1-13—Luke has a slightly different version of the Lord’s Prayer than Matthew (6:9-13). There are many textual variants for this passage and various ways of translating the prayer. Still, Luke’s unique take comes through as shorter and simpler. Of particular interest is Luke’s reference to sin. Whereas Matthew’s version asks for the forgiveness of debts as we forgive debtors, Luke’s version focuses on the way God forgives our sin as we forgive debtors. The Lectionary also places this prayer in the broader context of Jesus urging his disciples to be persistent in their prayer and their requests of God.
