Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Aug. 20, 2023 (Pentecost 12A)

First Reading (Track One): Genesis 45:1-15

The idea of generous mercy recurs through Sunday’s Track One Lectionary readings as we near the midpoint of the long season after Pentecost, and at this point the direction of the selected readings start to turn.

La Cananéenne aux pieds de Jésus-Christ (The Woman of Canaan at the Feet of Christ, 1784), oil painting by Jean Germain Drouais (1763–1788). The Louvre, Paris. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the Gospel for the day we will see Jesus and his apostles leaving Galilee as, in Matthew’s telling, they begin ] their long journey toward Jerusalem and the cross. First, though, our reading from the Hebrew Bible finds Joseph in Egypt, where we will soon turn from the patriarchs to Moses and the story of the chosen people. Joseph has been through a lot since his jealous brothers sold him into slavery. He has become a chief advisor to Pharaoh, which gives him great power over his brothers who have come to Egypt in a time of famine. In a tearful reunion, Joseph forgives them, and the ancestral line that points to the Messiah remains unbroken.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 56:1,6-8

Sunday’s Track Two first reading turns to the closing chapters of Isaiah’s long book of prophecy. The people have returned home to Jerusalem, and now they face the arduous task of rebuilding the city and the temple. Isaiah reminds the people that, just as they lost the land for their failure to be righteous and just, they may no longer keep the holy city for themselves alone, even though they “maintain justice and doing what is right.” The covenant that God made with Moses is now for all people, for all the nations. Even foreigners and aliens who hold fast to the covenant principles will be gathered in, welcomed in the temple and made joyful. We will hear Jesus echo this refrain in Sunday’s Gospel when he overcomes his initial aversion and recognizes the Canaanite woman’s faith.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 133

In this short, ancient hymn of praise, the Psalmist exults in the blessedness of siblings coming together in unity. In verses that foreshadow Paul’s words in the day’s Second Reading, urging the Christian community of Rome to come together in friendship, the Psalmist sings how good and pleasant it is when families and friends live together in the blessed spirit symbolized by anointing with fine oil.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 67

We hear again a Psalm that we sang this year toward the end of Eastertide, just before Pentecost Sunday. Psalm 67’s verses both echo the Isaiah reading and foretell Paul’s verses from Romans in its joyous call to all the nations of Earth and all their people to sing together in peace and praise. Let all the nations praise God and pray for God’s blessing, the Psalmist sings: It is through God the earth gives forth its bounty, whereupon all Earth sings out its praise.

Second Reading: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Paul expands on his invitation to Rome’s Jewish and Gentile Christians to resume close relationship after the Jewish Christian community returned to Rome from exile. Here Paul emphasizes his own Jewish heritage, pointing out his status as an Israelite and a direct descendant of Abraham through Benjamin, the youngest brother whom Joseph loved. God’s promises to Israel will never be revoked, Paul declares, and God’s new promises to the Gentiles are just as irrevocable. Regardless of our disobedience, our sins, and our ancestry, God is merciful to us all and loves us all.

Gospel: Matthew 15:10-28

First in Sunday’s two-part Gospel we encounter Jesus mocking a group of Pharisees who in previous verses had criticized his disciples for ignoring the ritual requirement to wash their hands before eating. Jesus offers an earthy response: What goes into our mouths – even food from unwashed hands – does not defile us. It’s the words that come out of our mouths that show our true character. Then, in the land of Canaan, Israel’s traditional enemy, Jesus shocks us again: When a Canaanite woman seeks help for her demon-tormented daughter, Jesus first ignores her, then replies with a startling insult, likening her children to stray dogs scrounging for crumbs under the table. But the words that come from the mother’s mouth come from her heart. The encounter changes Jesus: He praises her faith and heals her child.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 23, 2020

First Reading (Track One): Exodus 1:8-2:10



Joseph and his family came to Egypt to escape famine, but over the generations things changed. The Hebrew people increased in numbers, but now they must toil as Pharaoh’s slaves.

Christ’s Charge to Peter (1515-1516), painting by Raphael (1483-1520). Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

Evil Pharaoh, fearing this community because it has grown to threatening numbers, decides to kill all the Hebrew baby boys, a threat that scripture will later echo in Herod’s decision to kill Bethlehem’s babies after the birth of Jesus. But the baby Moses escapes in a floating basket. Moses will go on to become the next great figure in the bible’s ancestral legends, who will lead the people out of Egypt on a long trek toward the Promised Land.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 51:1-6



Using a metaphor that might remind us of Jesus’ response to Peter in Sunday’s Gospel, Isaiah tells the people that they were hewn from rock and dug from a quarry in their descent from Abraham and Sarah and their children. God promised to bless Abraham and make his offspring as numerous as the stars, and that promise has been fulfilled. Even though they remain in exile now, God will deliver them; God’s justice will be a light to the people, and their deliverance will come soon. Earth may eventually wear out like a used garment and the heavens will vanish like smoke, but God’s deliverance and salvation last forever.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 124

The Psalmist remembers the people’s deliverance from slavery in this hymn of thanksgiving to the God who carried them through the frightening exodus from Egypt. As we sing it we remember the people’s passage through the Red Sea. Then, in striking poetic imagery, the Psalm likens the people to a bird pursued by a hunter, escaping from a broken snare. The hymn concludes with joyous thanksgiving: “Our help is in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 138

Echoing the hope for return from exile and eventual salvation that we heard in the Isaiah reading, Psalm 138 thanks and praises God’s love and faithfulness. When we called, the Psalmist sings, God answered us and gave us strength. The litany of praise goes on: Although God is high, God cares for the lowly; God keeps us safe when we walk in the midst of trouble. The love of the Lord endures forever and will not abandon the works of God’s hands.

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8



Having made his case to the Christians of Rome to live and worship together in love, Paul enters the closing chapters of this, his last letter. He urges the people to devote their minds and bodies as a living sacrifice in spiritual worship: Do not live according to the customs of this world but discern and follow what is good in the will of God. Working out a beautiful metaphor that we also hear in 1 Corinthians, he imagines the church – like our bodies – as an organism made of many parts. Every part has its purpose, and they all must function well together to make the body work. Some lead, some teach, some give, some learn, some listen; some offer compassion. All together we make up one body in Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20




This key Gospel passage appears in similar form in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is a major turning point in all the Gospels, an important moment in which Jesus first acknowledges that he is the Messiah, the son of the living God. Perhaps the disciples have already begun wondering if Jesus is the Son of God. They worshipped him after he walked on the water and stilled the storm, for instance. But this is the first place in the three Gospels, just as Jesus and his followers begin their journey toward Jerusalem, when Jesus responds and agrees with Peter’s assertion that God has revealed him as the Messiah. Jesus then declares Peter “the rock” upon which he will build the church, and sternly commands the disciples not to tell anyone about this. His time has not yet come.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 27, 2017

Christ Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter (1481-83). Fresco by Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci (“Perugino,” 1450-1523), Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome. (Click image to enlarge.)

For the rest of the season after Pentecost, we will follow the narrative of Moses and the chosen people out of slavery and through the desert for 40 years until they reach the Promised Land. Our Gospel readings will recall the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem and the cross. In the first reading, years have passed since we left Joseph and his brothers, and Pharaoh no longer knows of Joseph or the work he did to save Egypt. Now the Egyptian leaders are afraid of the Hebrews, who have grown in numbers and are now perceived as a threat. Pharaoh tries to have all the Hebrew baby boys slaughtered at birth, but the infant Moses escapes and is adopted by Pharaoh’s own daughter.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 51:1-6

In a metaphor that may remind us of Jesus’ response to Peter in today’s Gospel, Isaiah reminds the people that they were hewn from rock and dug from a quarry in their descent from Abraham and Sarah and their children. God promised to bless Abraham and make his offspring as numerous as the stars, and that promise has been fulfilled. Even if they are in exile now, God will deliver them; God’s justice will be a light to the people, and their deliverance will come soon. Earth will wear out like a garment and the heavens will vanish like smoke, but God’s deliverance and salvation are forever.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 124

Recalling the time that the people were delivered from slavery in Egypt, the Psalmist sings out a hymn of thanksgiving to the God who protected them through the fear and danger of their exodus. We remember how the Red Sea waters might have overwhelmed them in a raging torrent without God’s protection. Then, in a beautiful metaphor, we envision the people as a bird pursued by a hunter, escaping from a broken snare. In celebration we sing, “Our help is in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 138

Echoing the hope for return from exile and eventual salvation that we heard from Isaiah, today’s Psalm thanks and praises God for love and faithfulness. When we called, God answered us and gave us strength. Although God is high, God cares for the lowly; God keeps us safe when we walk in the midst of trouble. The love of the Lord endures forever, and God will not abandon the works of God’s hands.

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8

Having made his case to the Christians of Rome to live and worship together in love, Paul moves on to urge them to devote their minds and bodies as a living sacrifice in their spiritual worship, living not according to the customs of this world but discerning and follow what is good in the will of God. Working out a beautiful metaphor that we also hear in 1 Corinthians, he imagines the church, like our bodies, as an organism made of many parts. Every part has its purpose, and they all must function well together to make the body work. Some lead, some teach, some give, some learn, some listen; some offer compassion. All together we make up one body in Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20

This key turning point in the Gospels appears in similar form in Matthew, Mark and Luke: Although the disciples have already begun wondering if Jesus is the Son of God – when they worshipped him after he walked on the water and stilled the storm, for example – this is the first point in the Gospels, just as they begin their journey toward Jerusalem, when Jesus responds and agrees with Peter’s assertion that God has revealed him as the Messiah. Jesus then declares Peter “the rock” upon which he will build the church. Then Jesus sternly commands the disciples not to tell anyone about this. His time has not yet come.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 31, 2014

Moses and the Burning Bush, Byzantine mosaic at St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai.

The ancestral story of the chosen people hits another high point as Moses encounters God in the burning bush on Mount Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai). When God informs Moses that God intends for him to lead the people out of Egypt to the Promised Land, Moses asks a curious question: What is God’s name? “I am who I am,” God replies, uttering a Hebrew phrase that Jewish tradition considers too holy to write or speak: “Say to the Israelites, ‘I am’ has sent me to you.” Perhaps this tradition adds a nuance to Jesus’ question in last week’s Gospel: “Who do you say that I am?”

Psalm: Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c

Well matched to today’s First Reading, this Psalm of thanksgiving and praise recalls the people’s descent from Abraham and their sojourn as aliens and oppressed slaves in Egypt. When we sing praise for Moses’ service in protecting the people so they might “observe God’s laws,” we celebrate the survival of not just dry legislation but of “Torah,” God’s timeless teaching that guides the way we live.

Second Reading: Romans 12:9-21

We have walked with Paul in his letter to the people of Rome through more than two months of Pentecost, listening and learning as he works out a theology of new life in God’s grace through Christ. Today he concludes the letter with a beautiful, poetic summary of his call to Rome’s Jewish and Gentile Christians to live together in love. “Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” What was good advice then remains good advice now. Live in harmony. Live peaceably with all. Amen!

Gospel: Matthew 16:21-28

Immediately following last week’s Gospel, in which Jesus praised Peter and called him the rock upon which he will build the church, Jesus turns in the next verses and declares Peter “Satan,” ordering him out of his sight. The evangelist – likely reflecting evolving church tradition a generation or two after the crucifixion – shows us a powerful image of Jesus as Messiah, predicting his own death and resurrection as necessary steps toward the universal justice that will come with God’s kingdom.