Preparing for the Sixteenth
Sunday after Pentecost
Year C

Daily Readings for Saturday
September 28, 2019

Prayer

God Eternal, 

you inspired Jeremiah to buy a piece of land 

when no one could see a future in it. 

Grant us such commitment to the future of your people, 

that you will always have workers for your vineyard 

and harvesters for your fields. Amen.

 

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

God, my refuge

 

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,

who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,

will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence;

he will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

or the arrow that flies by day,

or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Those who love me, I will deliver;

I will protect those who know my name.

When they call to me, I will answer them;

I will be with them in trouble,

I will rescue them and honor them.

With long life I will satisfy them,

and show them my salvation.

 

Jeremiah 24:1-10

God will bring back the exiles

 

The Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. This was after King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the artisans, and the smiths, and had brought them to Babylon. One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”

 

Then the word of the Lord came to me: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

 

But thus says the Lord: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who live in the land of Egypt. I will make them a horror, an evil thing, to all the kingdoms of the earth—a disgrace, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they are utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.

 

Luke 9:43b-48

Welcoming the little ones

 

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

 

An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.”

 

 

Prayer

Holy God, 

you reach out in love through Jesus Christ to save us 

so that we may live as faithful servants of you alone. 

Unchain us from our desire for wealth and power 

so that we may, in turn, release others 

from the prisons of poverty, hunger, and oppression. Amen.

 

Psalm 146

Justice to the oppressed

 

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,

in mortals, in whom there is no help.

When their breath departs, they return to the earth;

on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord their God,

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them;

who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed;

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the strangers;

he upholds the orphan and the widow,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,

your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord!

 

Proverbs 28:11-28

Helpers of the poor lack nothing

 

The rich is wise in self-esteem,

but an intelligent poor person sees through the pose.

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,

but when the wicked prevail, people go into hiding.

No one who conceals transgressions will prosper,

but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Happy is the one who is never without fear,

but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity.

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor;

but one who hates unjust gain will enjoy a long life.

If someone is burdened with the blood of another,

let that killer be a fugitive until death;

let no one offer assistance.

One who walks in integrity will be safe,

but whoever follows crooked ways will fall into the Pit.

Anyone who tills the land will have plenty of bread,

but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

The faithful will abound with blessings,

but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished.

To show partiality is not good—

yet for a piece of bread a person may do wrong.

The miser is in a hurry to get rich

and does not know that loss is sure to come.

Whoever rebukes a person will afterward find more favor

than one who flatters with the tongue.

Anyone who robs father or mother

and says, “That is no crime,”

is partner to a thug.

The greedy person stirs up strife,

but whoever trusts in the Lord will be enriched.

Those who trust in their own wits are fools;

but those who walk in wisdom come through safely.

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,

but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse.

When the wicked prevail, people go into hiding;

but when they perish, the righteous increase.

 

Luke 9:43b-48

Welcoming the little ones

 

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

 

An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.”

 

 

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Prayer reprinted from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. Reproduced by permission.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress. Reproduced by permission. No further reproduction allowed without the written permission of Augsburg Fortress.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


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