Saturday 21 October 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 21 October 2023
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Kings 25:8-12,22-26

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—which was the
nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan,
the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came
to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and
all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. All the
army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke
down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard
carried into exile the rest of the people who were left in the city
and the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon—all the
rest of the population. But the captain of the guard left some of the
poorest people of the land to be vine-dressers and tillers of the
soil.
 He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan as governor over
the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar
of Babylon had left. Now when all the captains of the forces and their
men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor,
they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael son of
Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the
Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite. Gedaliah swore to
them and their men, saying, ‘Do not be afraid because of the
Chaldean officials; live in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and
it shall be well with you.’ But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of
Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men;
they struck down Gedaliah so that he died, along with the Judeans and
Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. Then all the people, high and
low,* and the captains of the forces, set out and went to Egypt; for
they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
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1 Corinthians 15:12-29

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of
you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no
resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if
Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and
your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting
God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did
not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead
are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not
been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then
those also who have died* in Christ have perished. If for this life
only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits
of those who have died.* For since death came through a human being,
the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for
as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in
his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who
belong to Christ. Then comes the end,* when he hands over the kingdom
to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every
authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his
enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For
‘God* has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when
it says, ‘All things are put in subjection’, it is plain that this
does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him.
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also
be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so
that God may be all in all.

 Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf
of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people
baptized on their behalf?
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Matthew 11:7-15
 
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:
‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken
by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone* dressed in soft
robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then
did you go out to see? A prophet?* Yes, I tell you, and more than a
prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way before you.” 
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater
than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,* and the violent take it by
force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came;
and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let
anyone with ears* listen!
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 20, 21

Psalm 20

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
   The name of the God of Jacob protect you! 
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
   and give you support from Zion. 
May he remember all your offerings,
   and regard with favour your burnt sacrifices.
          Selah 

May he grant you your heart’s desire,
   and fulfil all your plans. 
May we shout for joy over your victory,
   and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfil all your petitions. 

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
   he will answer him from his holy heaven
   with mighty victories by his right hand. 
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
   but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. 
They will collapse and fall,
   but we shall rise and stand upright. 

Give victory to the king, O Lord;
   answer us when we call.

Psalm 21

In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord,
   and in your help how greatly he exults! 
You have given him his heart’s desire,
   and have not withheld the request of his lips.
          Selah 
For you meet him with rich blessings;
   you set a crown of fine gold on his head. 
He asked you for life; you gave it to him—
   length of days for ever and ever. 
His glory is great through your help;
   splendour and majesty you bestow on him. 
You bestow on him blessings for ever;
   you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 
For the king trusts in the Lord,
   and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be
moved.

Your hand will find out all your enemies;
   your right hand will find out those who hate you. 
You will make them like a fiery furnace
   when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
   and fire will consume them. 
You will destroy their offspring from the earth,
   and their children from among humankind. 
If they plan evil against you,
   if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 
For you will put them to flight;
   you will aim at their faces with your bows. 

Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
   We will sing and praise your power.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 110, 116, 117

Psalm 110

The Lord says to my lord,
   ‘Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.’ 

The Lord sends out from Zion
   your mighty sceptre.
   Rule in the midst of your foes. 
Your people will offer themselves willingly
   on the day you lead your forces
   on the holy mountains.*
>From the womb of the morning,
   like dew, your youth* will come to you. 
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
   ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of
Melchizedek.’* 

The Lord is at your right hand;
   he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 
He will execute judgement among the nations,
   filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
   over the wide earth. 
He will drink from the stream by the path;
   therefore he will lift up his head.

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, because he has heard
   my voice and my supplications. 
Because he inclined his ear to me,
   therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 
The snares of death encompassed me;
   the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
   I suffered distress and anguish. 
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
   ‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’ 

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
   our God is merciful. 
The Lord protects the simple;
   when I was brought low, he saved me. 
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
   for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 

For you have delivered my soul from death,
   my eyes from tears,
   my feet from stumbling. 
I walk before the Lord
   in the land of the living. 
I kept my faith, even when I said,
   ‘I am greatly afflicted’; 
I said in my consternation,
   ‘Everyone is a liar.’ 

What shall I return to the Lord
   for all his bounty to me? 
I will lift up the cup of salvation
   and call on the name of the Lord, 
I will pay my vows to the Lord
   in the presence of all his people. 
Precious in the sight of the Lord
   is the death of his faithful ones. 
O Lord, I am your servant;
   I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.
   You have loosed my bonds. 
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
   and call on the name of the Lord. 
I will pay my vows to the Lord
   in the presence of all his people, 
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
   in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
   Extol him, all you peoples! 
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
   and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!
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