Wednesday in Lent — Open Word

FIRST READING

Jeremiah 2:4-13

Verse 4. Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel. Verse 5. This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me? They followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves. Verse 6. They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ Verse 7. I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land and made My inheritance detestable. Verse 8. The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols. Verse 9. Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares the LORD, and I will bring a case against your children’s children. Verse 10. Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: Verse 11. Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. Verse 12. Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” Verse 13. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns — broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

PSALM

Psalm 81

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.

Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.

For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

He ordained it as a testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I heard an unfamiliar language:

“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.

But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!

Those who hate the LORD would feign obedience, and their doom would last forever.

But I would feed you the finest wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

SECOND READING

John 7:14-31, 37-39

Verse 14. About halfway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. Verse 15. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?” Verse 16. “My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me. Verse 17. If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own. Verse 18. He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood. Verse 19. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?” Verse 20. “You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?” Verse 21. Jesus answered them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Verse 22. But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.) Verse 23. If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath? Verse 24. Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.” Verse 25. Then some of the people of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Verse 26. Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ? Verse 27. But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.” Verse 28. Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You know Me, and you know where I am from. I have not come of My own accord, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him, Verse 29. but I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.” Verse 30. So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. Verse 31. Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?” Verse 37. On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Verse 38. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” Verse 39. He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.