Wednesday 11 September 2013 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Wednesday 11 September 2013 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Kings 17:1-24

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe* in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’ 2The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3‘Go from here and turn eastwards, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ 5So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. 7But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 
The Widow of Zarephath8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9‘Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ 10So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.’ 11As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ 12But she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’ 13Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ 15She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. 
Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18She then said to Elijah, ‘What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!’ 19But he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. 20He cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?’ 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ 22The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, ‘See, your son is alive.’ 24So the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.’ 
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Philippians 2:1-11

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was* in Christ Jesus, 
6who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited, 
7but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a slave,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, 
8   he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross. 


9Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name, 
10so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
11and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father. 
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Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men* from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising,* and have come to pay him homage.’ 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah* was to be born. 5They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 
6“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
   who is to shepherd* my people Israel.” ’ 
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men* and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,* until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped,* they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. ******************************************************************
Morning Psalms:  Psalm 119:49-72

Psalm 119:49-72

Remember your word to your servant,
   in which you have made me hope. 
50This is my comfort in my distress,
   that your promise gives me life. 
51The arrogant utterly deride me,
   but I do not turn away from your law. 
52When I think of your ordinances from of old,
   I take comfort, O Lord. 
53Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
   those who forsake your law. 
54Your statutes have been my songs
   wherever I make my home. 
55I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
   and keep your law. 
56This blessing has fallen to me,
   for I have kept your precepts. 


57The Lord is my portion;
   I promise to keep your words. 
58I implore your favour with all my heart;
   be gracious to me according to your promise. 
59When I think of your ways,
   I turn my feet to your decrees; 
60I hurry and do not delay
   to keep your commandments. 
61Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
   I do not forget your law. 
62At midnight I rise to praise you,
   because of your righteous ordinances. 
63I am a companion of all who fear you,
   of those who keep your precepts. 
64The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
   teach me your statutes. 


65You have dealt well with your servant,
   O Lord, according to your word. 
66Teach me good judgement and knowledge,
   for I believe in your commandments. 
67Before I was humbled I went astray,
   but now I keep your word. 
68You are good and do good;
   teach me your statutes. 
69The arrogant smear me with lies,
   but with my whole heart I keep your precepts. 
70Their hearts are fat and gross,
   but I delight in your law. 
71It is good for me that I was humbled,
   so that I might learn your statutes. 
72The law of your mouth is better to me
   than thousands of gold and silver pieces. 
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 49, 53

Psalm 49

Hear this, all you peoples;
   give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 
2both low and high,
   rich and poor together. 
3My mouth shall speak wisdom;
   the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
   I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp. 


5Why should I fear in times of trouble,
   when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, 
6those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of the abundance of their riches? 
7Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life,*
   there is no price one can give to God for it. 
8For the ransom of life is costly,
   and can never suffice, 
9that one should live on for ever
   and never see the grave.* 


10When we look at the wise, they die;
   fool and dolt perish together
   and leave their wealth to others. 
11Their graves* are their homes for ever,
   their dwelling-places to all generations,
   though they named lands their own. 
12Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish. 


13Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
   the end of those* who are pleased with their lot.
          Selah 
14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
   Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,*
   and their form shall waste away;
   Sheol shall be their home.* 
15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
   for he will receive me.
          Selah 


16Do not be afraid when some become rich,
   when the wealth of their houses increases. 
17For when they die they will carry nothing away;
   their wealth will not go down after them. 
18Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
   —for you are praised when you do well for yourself— 
19they* will go to the company of their ancestors,
   who will never again see the light. 
20Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish.



Psalm 53

Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’
   They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
   there is no one who does good. 


2God looks down from heaven on humankind
   to see if there are any who are wise,
   who seek after God. 


3They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
   there is no one who does good,
   no, not one. 


4Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
   who eat up my people as they eat bread,
   and do not call upon God? 


5There they shall be in great terror,
   in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;*
   they will be put to shame,* for God has rejected them. 


6O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
   When God restores the fortunes of his people,
   Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
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