Reflecting on the Sixteenth
Sunday after Pentecost
Year B

Daily Readings for Monday
September 13, 2021

Prayer

Wisdom of God, 

from the street corners and at the entrances to the city 

you proclaim the way of life and of death. 

Grant us the wisdom to recognize your Messiah, 

that following in the way of the cross, 

we may know the way of life and glory. Amen.

 

Psalm 73:21-28

You guide me with your counsel

 

When my soul was embittered,

when I was pricked in heart,

I was stupid and ignorant;

I was like a brute beast toward you.

Nevertheless I am continually with you;

you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will receive me with honor.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Indeed, those who are far from you will perish;

you put an end to those who are false to you.

But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

to tell of all your works.

 

Proverbs 22:1-21

Thirty wise sayings

 

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common:

the Lord is the maker of them all.

The clever see danger and hide;

but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord

is riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

the cautious will keep far from them.

Train children in the right way,

and when old, they will not stray.

The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of anger will fail.

Those who are generous are blessed,

for they share their bread with the poor.

Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;

quarreling and abuse will cease.

Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech

will have the king as a friend.

The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the faithless.

The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be killed in the streets!”

The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit;

he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy,

but the rod of discipline drives it far away.

Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,

and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

The words of the wise:

Incline your ear and hear my words,

and apply your mind to my teaching;

for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,

if all of them are ready on your lips.

So that your trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to you today—yes, to you.

Have I not written for you thirty sayings

of admonition and knowledge,

to show you what is right and true,

so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

 

Romans 3:9-20

The unrighteous tongue deceives

 

What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written:

 

“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;

there is no one who has understanding,

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;

there is no one who shows kindness,

there is not even one.”

“Their throats are opened graves;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery are in their paths,

and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

 

 

Prayer

Through suffering and rejection, O God, 

you bring forth our salvation, 

for in Jesus you embrace our humanity 

and transform our lives by the glory of his cross. 

Grant that for the sake of the gospel 

we may rebuke the lure of this world, 

take up our cross, 

and follow your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Psalm 119:169-176

God’s law my delight

 

Let my cry come before you, O Lord;

give me understanding according to your word.

Let my supplication come before you;

deliver me according to your promise.

My lips will pour forth praise,

because you teach me your statutes.

My tongue will sing of your promise,

for all your commandments are right.

Let your hand be ready to help me,

for I have chosen your precepts.

I long for your salvation, O Lord,

and your law is my delight.

Let me live that I may praise you,

and let your ordinances help me.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant,

for I do not forget your commandments.

 

1 Kings 13:1-10

Obeying the word of God

 

While Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer incense, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel and proclaimed against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘The altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” When the king heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” But the hand that he stretched out against him withered so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. The king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord; and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and dine, and I will give you a gift.” But the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your kingdom, I will not go in with you; nor will I eat food or drink water in this place. For thus I was commanded by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat food, or drink water, or return by the way that you came.” So he went another way, and did not return by the way that he had come to Bethel.

 

Romans 3:9-20

The unrighteous tongue deceives

 

What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written:

 

“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;

there is no one who has understanding,

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;

there is no one who shows kindness,

there is not even one.”

“Their throats are opened graves;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery are in their paths,

and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

 

 

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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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