Wednesday 4 February 2015 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Wednesday 4 February 2015 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Isaiah 54:1-17

Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
   burst into song and shout,
   you who have not been in labour!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
   than the children of her that is married, says the Lord. 
Enlarge the site of your tent,
   and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
   and strengthen your stakes. 
For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
   and your descendants will possess the nations
   and will settle the desolate towns. 


Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
   do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
   and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more. 
For your Maker is your husband,
   the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
   the God of the whole earth he is called. 
For the Lord has called you
   like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
   says your God. 
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
   but with great compassion I will gather you. 
In overflowing wrath for a moment
   I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
   says the Lord, your Redeemer. 


This is like the days of Noah to me:
   Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
   would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
   and will not rebuke you. 
For the mountains may depart
   and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
   and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
   says the Lord, who has compassion on you. 


O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
   I am about to set your stones in antimony,
   and lay your foundations with sapphires.* 
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
   your gates of jewels,
   and all your wall of precious stones. 
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
   and great shall be the prosperity of your children. 
In righteousness you shall be established;
   you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
   and from terror, for it shall not come near you. 
If anyone stirs up strife,
   it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
   shall fall because of you. 
See, it is I who have created the smith
   who blows the fire of coals,
   and produces a weapon fit for its purpose;
I have also created the ravager to destroy. 
   No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper,
   and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgement.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
   and their vindication from me, says the Lord.
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Galatians 4:21-31

Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia* and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. For it is written,
‘Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children,
   burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs;
for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous
   than the children of the one who is married.’ 
Now you,* my friends,* are children of the promise, like Isaac. But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the scripture say? ‘Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.’ So then, friends,* we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.
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Mark 8:11-26

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.
 Now the disciples* had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’* They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’ 

 They came to Bethsaida. Some people* brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’ And the man* looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus* laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home, saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 72

Psalm 72

Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son. 
May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice. 
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness. 
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor. 


May he live* while the sun endures,
   and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
   like showers that water the earth. 
In his days may righteousness flourish
   and peace abound, until the moon is no more. 


May he have dominion from sea to sea,
   and from the River to the ends of the earth. 
May his foes* bow down before him,
   and his enemies lick the dust. 
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
   render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
   bring gifts. 
May all kings fall down before him,
   all nations give him service. 


For he delivers the needy when they call,
   the poor and those who have no helper. 
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
   and saves the lives of the needy. 
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
   and precious is their blood in his sight. 


Long may he live!
   May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
   and blessings invoked for him all day long. 
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
   may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
   may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
   like the grass of the field. 
May his name endure for ever,
   his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;*
   may they pronounce him happy. 


Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
   who alone does wondrous things. 
Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
   may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen. 


The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 119:73-96

Psalm 119:73-96

Your hands have made and fashioned me;
   give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
   because I have hoped in your word. 
I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right,
   and that in faithfulness you have humbled me. 
Let your steadfast love become my comfort
   according to your promise to your servant. 
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
   for your law is my delight. 
Let the arrogant be put to shame,
   because they have subverted me with guile;
   as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 
Let those who fear you turn to me,
   so that they may know your decrees. 
May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
   so that I may not be put to shame. 


My soul languishes for your salvation;
   I hope in your word. 
My eyes fail with watching for your promise;
   I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’ 
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
   yet I have not forgotten your statutes. 
How long must your servant endure?
   When will you judge those who persecute me? 
The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;
   they flout your law. 
All your commandments are enduring;
   I am persecuted without cause; help me! 
They have almost made an end of me on earth;
   but I have not forsaken your precepts. 
In your steadfast love spare my life,
   so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth. 


The Lord exists for ever;
   your word is firmly fixed in heaven. 
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
   you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 
By your appointment they stand today,
   for all things are your servants. 
If your law had not been my delight,
   I would have perished in my misery. 
I will never forget your precepts,
   for by them you have given me life. 
I am yours; save me,
   for I have sought your precepts. 
The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
   but I consider your decrees. 
I have seen a limit to all perfection,
   but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
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