Proper 23 (28) (Year C)
The Prayer:
Loving God, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus the Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Lessons:
1The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the few surviving elders among the exiles, to the priests and the prophets, and to all the people Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon from Jerusalem. [2The letter was sent after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the government leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and smiths had left Jerusalem. 3It was delivered to Babylon by Elasah, Shaphan’s son, and Gemariah, Hilkiah’s son — two men dispatched to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar by King Zedekiah.]
4Yahweh of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims to all the exiles I have carried off from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build houses and settle down; cultivate gardens and eat what they produce. 6Get married and have children; then help your sons find wives and your daughters find husbands in order that they too may have children. Increase in number there so that you don’t dwindle away. 7Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to Yahweh for it, because your future depends on its welfare.
1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth!
2 Sing praises to the glory of God’s name!
Make glorious God’s praise!
3 Say to God:
“How awesome are your works!
Because of your great strength,
your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you,
sings praises to you,
sings praises to your name!” Selah
5 Come and see God’s deeds;
God’s works for human beings are awesome:
6 God turned the sea into dry land
so they could cross the river on foot.
Right there we rejoiced in Yahweh!
7 God rules with power forever;
keeps a good eye on the nations.
So don’t let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 All you nations, bless our God!
Let the sound of God’s praise be heard!
9 God preserved us among the living;
and didn’t let our feet slip a bit.
10 But you, God, have tested us —
you’ve refined us like silver,
11 trapped us in a net,
laid burdens on our backs,
12 let other people run right over our heads —
we’ve been through fire and water.
But you brought us out to freedom!
8Remember Jesus the Christ, who was raised from the dead and descended from David. This is my good news. 9This is the reason I’m suffering to the point that I’m in prison like a common criminal. But God’s word cannot be imprisoned. 10This is why I endure everything for the sake of those who are chosen by God so that they too may experience salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11This saying is reliable:
“If we’ve died together, we’ll also live together.
12 If we endure, we’ll also rule together.
If we deny Christ, he will also deny us.
13 If we’re disloyal, Christ stays faithful”
because he can’t be anything else than what he is.
14Remind them of these things and warn them in the sight of God not to engage in battles over words that aren’t helpful and only destroy those who hear them. 15Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of truth correctly.
11On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten men with skin diseases approached him. Keeping their distance from him, 13they raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!”
14When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they left, they were cleansed. 15One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. 16He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” 19Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
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In the Love of the Three in One,
Br. Jack+, LC
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[1] Scripture quotations marked (CEB) are taken from The Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible.
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