Friday 27 January 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Friday 27 January 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Isaiah 50:1-11

Thus says the Lord:
Where is your mother’s bill of divorce
   with which I put her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
   to whom I have sold you?
No, because of your sins you were sold,
   and for your transgressions your mother was put away. 
Why was no one there when I came?
   Why did no one answer when I called?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
   Or have I no power to deliver?
By my rebuke I dry up the sea,
   I make the rivers a desert;
their fish stink for lack of water,
   and die of thirst.* 
I clothe the heavens with blackness,
   and make sackcloth their covering. 

The Lord God has given me
   the tongue of a teacher,*
that I may know how to sustain
   the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
   wakens my ear
   to listen as those who are taught. 
The Lord God has opened my ear,
   and I was not rebellious,
   I did not turn backwards. 
I gave my back to those who struck me,
   and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
   from insult and spitting. 

The Lord God helps me;
   therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
   and I know that I shall not be put to shame; 
   he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
   Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
   Let them confront me. 
It is the Lord God who helps me;
   who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
   the moth will eat them up. 

Who among you fears the Lord
   and obeys the voice of his servant,
who walks in darkness
   and has no light,
yet trusts in the name of the Lord
   and relies upon his God? 
But all of you are kindlers of fire,
   lighters of firebrands.*
Walk in the flame of your fire,
   and among the brands that you have kindled!
This is what you shall have from my hand:
   you shall lie down in torment.
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Galatians 3:15-22

Brothers and sisters,* I give an example from daily life: once a
person’s will* has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;* it does
not say, ‘And to offsprings’,* as of many; but it says, ‘And to
your offspring’,* that is, to one person, who is Christ. My point is
this: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does
not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the
promise. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes
from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.
 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the
offspring* would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was
ordained through angels by a mediator. Now a mediator involves more
than one party; but God is one.

 Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For
if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness
would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned
all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through
faith in Jesus Christ* might be given to those who believe.
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Mark 6:47-56

When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on
the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an
adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on
the lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking
on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all
saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said,
‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat
with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for
they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were
hardened.
 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and
moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once
recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring
the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went,
into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the
market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of
his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 40, 54

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
   he inclined to me and heard my cry. 
He drew me up from the desolate pit,*
   out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
   making my steps secure. 
He put a new song in my mouth,
   a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
   and put their trust in the Lord. 

Happy are those who make
   the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
   to those who go astray after false gods. 
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
   your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
   none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
   they would be more than can be counted. 

Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
   but you have given me an open ear.*
Burnt-offering and sin-offering
   you have not required. 
Then I said, ‘Here I am;
   in the scroll of the book it is written of me.* 
I delight to do your will, O my God;
   your law is within my heart.’ 

I have told the glad news of deliverance
   in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
   as you know, O Lord. 
I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,
   I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
   from the great congregation. 

Do not, O Lord, withhold
   your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
   keep me safe for ever. 
For evils have encompassed me
   without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
   until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails me. 

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
   O Lord, make haste to help me. 
Let all those be put to shame and confusion
   who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonour
   who desire my hurt. 
Let those be appalled because of their shame
   who say to me, ‘Aha, Aha!’ 

But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
   say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’ 
As for me, I am poor and needy,
   but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 54

Save me, O God, by your name,
   and vindicate me by your might. 
Hear my prayer, O God;
   give ear to the words of my mouth. 

For the insolent have risen against me,
   the ruthless seek my life;
   they do not set God before them.
          Selah 

But surely, God is my helper;
   the Lord is the upholder of* my life. 
He will repay my enemies for their evil.
   In your faithfulness, put an end to them. 

With a freewill-offering I will sacrifice to you;
   I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. 
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
   and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 51

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions. 
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin. 

For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me. 
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement. 
Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me. 

You desire truth in the inward being;*
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 
Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right* spirit within me. 
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me. 
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing* spirit. 

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   and sinners will return to you. 
Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
   O God of my salvation,
   and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. 

O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth will declare your praise. 
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
   if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased. 
The sacrifice acceptable to God* is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
   rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 
then you will delight in right sacrifices,
   in burnt-offerings and whole burnt-offerings;
   then bulls will be offered on your altar.
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