First Reading (Track One): Genesis 22:1-14

It is not our faith that saves us, but God’s faithfulness to us: Hear this theme through Sunday’s Lectionary readings.

Abraham’s Sacrifice (1653), oil painting on canvas by David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. (Click image to enlarge)

In our Track One first reading, Abraham hears a shocking command: God tells him to slay his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. It’s hard for us to imagine a God who would order such a thing, but we rejoice with Abraham when God forbids him to kill Isaac after all, offering a ram to sacrifice instead. As an ancestral legend, this event established in law that the people should not sacrifice humans. It showed a compassionate God, once Abraham’s faith was tested: a God who would say “no” to the death of Isaac and “no” to death again in the resurrection of his own son, Jesus Christ.

First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 28:5-9

To place this short reading in context, go back and read the verses just before it. Jeremiah had warned the priests and people that their exile in Babylon would not be ending soon, and that any prophets who say otherwise are liars. Then the young prophet Hananiah stood up and challenged that, prophesying that God had in fact broken the yoke of the Babylonian king and would bring all the exiles home within two years. Now in Sunday’s reading we hear Jeremiah respond. HeOU agrees that God will indeed end the exile some day, but only when peace prevails and war, pestilence and famine come to an end.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 13

The opening verses of this short Psalm might not seem appropriate to comfort a person who is grieving or afraid. But it does provide insight into the profound pain that exists at the depths of fear and loss. It would be only too human to be afraid that we have been forgotten, that God’s face is turned away and hidden, leaving us defenseless and alone, victim to our enemies. But even in utter darkness, the Psalmist assures us, hope remains when we trust in God’s mercy. God has dealt with us fairly, and we can take joy in God’s saving help.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 89:1-4,15-18

In these two brief excerpts from a longer Psalm, the Psalmist celebrates God’s covenant with King David as a royal lineage that God established to last forever as a sign of God’s righteousness and never-ending rule. Those who walk in God’s way and rejoice in the divine name will be full of joy, the Psalmist sings, for they know that God is their ruler. The Holy One of Israel is everlasting king.

Second Reading: Romans 6:12-23

Who would want to be enslaved? It is hard to imagine anyone who would willingly embrace this state, as Paul makes clear by using the idea of enslavement to make a telling point: Our baptism spares us from the enslavement of sin, freeing us to embrace a better way: the joyful enslavement of willing submission to God through Christ. In this way, Paul says, we receive the free gift of grace that brings eternal life.

Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42

This Sunday we hear the third and final passage from Matthew’s long account of Jesus teaching his recently commissioned apostles about the challenges and rewards of discipleship. In recent Gospel readings we have heard Jesus’s troubling warnings about how he came not to bring peace but a sword, and that his followers must leave friends and family behind in order to follow him. But now at last Jesus turns his attention to the rewards of following his way. Echoing the Psalmist’s assurance that God is loving, just and fair, Jesus promises that those who practice justice in God’s name – even in such small ways as offering water to a child – will earn their reward.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 5, 2020

First Reading (Track One): Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67


Rebekah’s response to Abraham’s servant in Sunday’s Track One first reading reminds us of Abraham’s response to God’s call: Hearing God’s voice, both respond with faithful trust.

Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, “The Jewish bride” (c.1662-1666), oil painting on canvas by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. (Click image to enlarge.)

Abraham uproots his family and moves to a new land. Rebekah leaves home and family to marry Abraham’s son, Isaac, a man she has not yet met but who will come to love her. Abraham heard God’s promise that his offspring would become “a great and mighty nation.” Rebekah hears that her children will become “thousands of myriads.” Rebekah’s faith, it appears, is no less strong than Abraham’s.

First Reading (Track Two): Zechariah 9:9-12


Zechariah, one of the last of the dozen so-called minor prophets, celebrates the people’s return from exile and their hope of restoring the Temple. In this Track Two first reading, he envisions a humble yet powerful king who will come to reign in peace and restore the nation’s prosperity. Matthew later will find Jesus so vividly foretold in these verses that he adopts the wording precisely, including the poetic repetition of Hebrew verse, “riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey,” in his portrayal of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on two animals on Palm Sunday.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 45:11-18

Psalm 45 is a wedding blessing, a love song addressed to a princess bride of Tyre (an ancient island kingdom and occasional rival to Israel), who has come to Israel to be joined in a royal marriage. These verses chosen for the first of two options for Sunday’s Track One psalm celebrate the pomp and joy of her coming wedding. They also highlight the Psalmist’s hope that the bride will be remembered and praised in future generations, a wish that reminds us of God’s promises of myriad descendants to Abraham and Rebekah.

Alternate to the Psalm (Track One): Song of Solomon 2:8-13

The Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, is a lyrical collection of ancient Hebrew love poetry. Curiously, this book and the book of Esther are the only books in the Bible that do not explicitly mention God. Rather, we are invited to find the image of God in the joy of giving and caring love. These verses are understood as a rhapsodic song of springtime, but their metaphorical evocation of love in the midst of an awakening springtime Earth speaks to our hearts even during summer’s heat.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:8-15

Like many of the psalms, this hymn of praise is traditionally if not historically attributed to the hand of King David. It serves well to echo today’s Track Two first reading from Zechariah in its vision of a humble, powerful king who reigns in peace and prosperity. This kingdom of glorious splendor is clearly understood not only as a kingdom for here and now, but one that is known in glory to all people, an everlasting kingdom that endures through all the ages.

Second Reading: Romans 6:12-23


We have recently heard Paul’s assurances to the ancient Christians of Rome that through baptism we “die” to our old lives enslaved to sin only to be “born” to a new life freed from sin through the free gift of grace from God. In today’s reading, though, using himself as a bad example of a “wretched man,” Paul points out that it’s not necessarily easy to leave sin behind, even when we want to do the right thing. He tries, but he can’t get rid of the sin that lives within him. He can’t fight sin on his own – and neither can we – without God’s help through Jesus, who frees him from the slavery of sin.

Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30


Jesus seems frustrated and even angry in the beginning verses of Sunday’s Gospel. Preaching to crowds around Capernaum in Galilee, he calls them “children.” He may be irritable because some of the same people who considered ascetic John’s call for repentance crazy and judgmental are now criticizing Jesus’ joyous embrace of life as evidence that he is a glutton and a drunk. But then, after we skip over five additional angry verses not included in Sunday’s reading, Jesus pauses and thanks God. His words of hope for Israel’s children and infants turn gentle as he invites all who carry heavy burdens to come to him and find rest for their souls.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 9, 2017

Rebekah and Eliezer at the Well (1661), oil painting on canvas by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621-1674). National Gallery, London.

Our First Readings through the remaining five months of Sundays after Pentecost will continue to follow God’s chosen people on their long road to the Promised Land, from Abraham to Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Joshua. Occasionally among these patriarchs, we hear the story of a matriarch like Sarah, Hagar, and now Rebekah, who responds with faithful trust to God’s call. Much as Abraham did when he took family to a new land, Rebekah leaves home and family to marry Abraham’s son, Isaac, a man she has not yet met. God promised Abraham that his offspring would become “a great and mighty nation.” Rebekah hears that her children will become “thousands of myriads.” Her faith may be as great as Abraham’s.

First Reading (Track Two): Zechariah 9:9-12

The prophet Zechariah, celebrating the people’s return from exile and their hope of restoring the Temple, envisions a humble yet powerful king who will come to reign in peace and restore the nation’s prosperity, a Messianic foreshadowing that Christians can easily shift forward to Jesus. Matthew later will find Jesus so vividly foretold in these verses that he adopts the wording precisely, including the poetic repetition of Hebrew verse, “riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey,” in his portrayal of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on two animals on Palm Sunday.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 45:11-18

Today’s psalm is a wedding blessing addressed to a princess bride of Tyre, an ancient island kingdom and occasional rival to Israel, who has come to Israel to be joined in a royal marriage. The verses chosen for today celebrate the pomp and joy of her coming wedding, and they also highlight the Psalmist’s hope that the bride will be remembered and praised in future generations, a prayer for future blessing that echoes God’s promise of myriad descendants to Abraham and Rebekah.

Alternate for the Psalm (Track One): Song of Solomon 2:8-13

The Song of Solomon, also known as Song of Songs, is a lyrical collection of ancient Hebrew love poetry. Curiously, it, along with the book of Esther, is one of the only books in the Bible that does not explicitly mention God. Rather, we are left to find the image of God in the joy of giving and caring love. These verses are understood as a rhapsodic song of springtime, but their metaphorical evocation of love in the midst of an awakening springtime Earth speaks to our hearts even during summer’s heat.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:8-15

This psalm of praise, traditionally attributed to King David, serves well to echo today’s reading from Zechariah in its vision of a humble, powerful king who reigns in peace and prosperity. This kingdom of glorious splendor is not just a kingdom for here and now, but one that is known in glory to all people, an everlasting kingdom that endures through all the ages: A kingdom of God indeed.

Second Reading: Romans 6:12-23

We have recently heard Paul’s assurances to the ancient Christians of Rome that through baptism we “die” to our old lives enslaved to sin only to be “born” to a new life freed from sin through the free gift of grace from God. In today’s reading, though, using himself as a bad example of a “wretched man,” Paul points out that it’s not necessarily easy to leave sin behind, even when we want to do the right thing. He tries, but he can’t get rid of the sin that lives within him. He can’t fight sin on his own – and neither can we – without God’s help through Jesus, who frees him from the slavery of sin.

Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Doesn’t Jesus seem frustrated and angry in the beginning verses of today’s Gospel? He compares the crowds surrounding him at Capernaum to children, and observes that the same people who called John demonic because he didn’t eat and drink now call Jesus a glutton and a drunk because he does! But then, after we skip over a few more angry verses not included in today’s reading, Jesus pauses and thanks God, turning from anger to gentle humility, and invites all who carry heavy burdens to come to him and find rest for their souls.

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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 Sunday, July 13, 2014

The Sower. Ancient stained-glass window at Canterbury Cathedral.

From now through the end of Pentecost, our First Readings will take us through the Bible’s story of God’s chosen people, from Abraham to Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Joshua. Today’s reading offers two themes: First, God acts to continue the ancestral line, even though Isaac and Rebekah, like Isaac’s parents Abraham and Sarah, thought they were unable to have children. Then, Jacob’s tricks reveal once more that God does not choose unbelievably perfect people, but works through flawed and sinful humans, not unlike us.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 55:10-13

In this reading we hear the concluding verses of the second Isaiah, one of three ancient prophets who theologians believe wrote of the people’s exile to Babylon and eventual return home to Jerusalem, where they would build a restored temple. Having assured the people that God has forgiven their failures of justice, Isaiah now paints a beautiful image of God as the giver of life and sustenance and all that is good. His image of seeds and the sower and Earth’s bounty sets the stage for Jesus’ parable of the Sower that we hear in today’s Gospel.

Psalm: Psalm 119:105-112

One might expect the longest Psalm in the Bible either to celebrate God’s love for us, or to offer joyous thanksgiving for the gifts of life, or to express awe at God’s power to move the world. Psalm 119, however, is quite different. Perhaps originally a temple hymn, this psalm offers praise and thanksgiving for God’s laws. Following God’s decrees brings joy, the psalmist sings, promising to obey them faithfully.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 65: (1-8), 9-14

Today’s Psalm doubles down on Isaiah’s celebration of God the bountiful creator. Perhaps originally sung as a hymn of thanksgiving for the harvest, it rings the praises of God’s bounty for its overflowing richness, and perhaps just as important, for the joy it provides to those who receive it. Surely this seed has been sown on rich, loamy soil and yielded a hundredfold.

Second Reading: Romans 8:1-11

Paul, a proud Pharisee who counted himself as righteous and blameless under the law, the teaching of Torah that the Psalmist celebrated, now tells the Romans that Christ’s resurrection has freed us from the law of sin and death. If we follow the ways of the world, we are subject to sin and death; but when we accept God’s Spirit through Jesus, we gain life and peace. Our mortal bodies gain life because the Spirit dwells in us.

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

From today through the rest of Pentecost, our Sunday Gospels will take us through Matthew’s account of Jesus’ teaching through parables. We begin with the parable of the sower, the first told in Matthew and the only parable that Jesus explains. It is tempting to look for specific instruction in the fates of the seeds that fall on the beaten path, on rocks, among thorns, and on fertile ground. Perhaps the message is this simple: Sow God’s word extravagantly, everywhere, and rejoice when it falls on good soil and the harvest is rich. Or perhaps we are told to decide what kind of soil we will be when we hear God’s word. Parables don’t come straight at us. They make us think.