Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Water at Massah and Meribah
17 [a] The whole community[b] of the Israelites traveled on their journey[c] from the wilderness of Sin according to the Lord’s instruction, and they pitched camp in Rephidim.[d] Now[e] there was no water for the people to drink.[f] 2 So the people contended[g] with Moses, and they said, “Give us water to drink!”[h] Moses said to them, “Why do you contend[i] with me? Why do you test[j] the Lord?” 3 But the people were very thirsty[k] there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world[l] did you bring us up from Egypt—to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”[m]
4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What will I do with[n] this people?—a little more[o] and they will stone me!”[p] 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go over before the people;[q] take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile and go. 6 I will be standing[r] before you there on[s] the rock in Horeb, and you will strike[t] the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.”[u] And Moses did so in plain view[v] of the elders of Israel.
7 He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contending of the Israelites and because of their testing the Lord,[w] saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Psalm 78[a]
A well-written song[b] by Asaph.
78 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction.
Listen to the words I speak.[c]
2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;
I will make insightful observations about the past.[d]
3 What we have heard and learned[e]—
that which our ancestors[f] have told us—
4 we will not hide from their[g] descendants.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,[h]
about his strength and the amazing things he has done.
12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.[a]
13 He divided the sea and led them across it;
he made the water stand in a heap.
14 He led them with a cloud by day,
and with the light of a fire all night long.
15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.[b]
16 He caused streams to flow from the rock,
and made the water flow like rivers.
Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility
2 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit,[a] any affection or mercy,[b] 2 complete my joy and be of the same mind,[c] by having the same love, being united in spirit,[d] and having one purpose. 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition[e] or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned[f] not only[g] about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.[h] 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,[i]
6 [j] who though he existed in the form of God[k]
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,[l]
by looking like other men,[m]
and by sharing in human nature.[n]
8 He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
9 As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World
12 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,[o] 13 for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.
The Authority of Jesus
23 Now after Jesus[a] entered the temple courts,[b] the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority[c] are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus[d] answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?”[e] They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.” 27 So[f] they answered Jesus,[g] “We don’t know.”[h] Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you[i] by what authority[j] I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What[k] do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The boy answered,[l] ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart[m] and went. 30 The father[n] went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered,[o] ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.”[p] Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth,[q] tax collectors[r] and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although[s] you saw this, you did not later change your minds[t] and believe him.
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