Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Delivery of the Exiles
49 Listen to me, you coastlands![a]
Pay attention, you people who live far away!
The Lord summoned me from birth;[b]
he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.[c]
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the hollow of his hand;
he made me like a sharpened[d] arrow,
he hid me in his quiver.[e]
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.”[f]
4 But I thought,[g] “I have worked in vain;
I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.”[h]
But the Lord will vindicate me;
my God will reward me.[i]
5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birth[j] to be his servant—
he did this[k] to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honored[l] in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strength[m]—
6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant[n] of Israel?[o]
I will make you a light to the nations,[p]
so you can bring[q] my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord,
the Protector[r] of Israel, their Holy One,[s] says
to the one who is despised[t] and rejected[u] by nations,[v]
a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and rise in respect,[w]
princes will bow down,
because of the faithful Lord,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
Psalm 71[a]
71 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter.
Never let me be humiliated.
2 Vindicate me by rescuing me.[b]
Listen to me.[c] Deliver me.[d]
3 Be my protector and refuge,[e]
a stronghold where I can be safe.[f]
For you are my high ridge[g] and my stronghold.
4 My God, rescue me from the power[h] of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor.
5 For you are my hope;
O Sovereign Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young.[i]
6 I have leaned on you since birth;[j]
you pulled me[k] from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually.[l]
7 Many are appalled when they see me,[m]
but you are my secure shelter.
8 I praise you constantly
and speak of your splendor all day long.[n]
9 Do not reject me in my old age.[o]
When my strength fails, do not abandon me.
10 For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.[p]
11 They say,[q] “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him.”
12 O God, do not remain far away from me.
My God, hurry and help me.[r]
13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated.
May those who want to harm me[s] be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will wait continually,
and will continue to praise you.[t]
The Message of the Cross
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”[a] 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law?[b] Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. 22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, 23 but we preach about a crucified Christ,[c] a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,[d] and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.[e]
26 Think about the circumstances of your call,[f] brothers and sisters.[g] Not many were wise by human standards,[h] not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.[i] 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose[j] what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus,[k] who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”[l]
Seekers
20 Now some Greeks[a] were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip,[b] who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested,[c] “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both[d] went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied,[e] “The time[f] has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.[g] 24 I tell you the solemn truth,[h] unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone.[i] But if it dies, it produces[j] much grain.[k] 25 The one who loves his life[l] destroys[m] it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards[n] it for eternal life. 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow[o] me, and where I am, my servant will be too.[p] If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me[q] from this hour’?[r] No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.[s] 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven,[t] “I have glorified it,[u] and I will glorify it[v] again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice[w] said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him.[x] 30 Jesus said,[y] “This voice has not come for my benefit[z] but for yours. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world[aa] will be driven out.[ab] 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people[ac] to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.)[ad]
34 Then the crowd responded,[ae] “We have heard from the law that the Christ[af] will remain forever.[ag] How[ah] can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus replied,[ai] “The light is with you for a little while longer.[aj] Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you.[ak] The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”[al] When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.
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