Proper 11 (16) — Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Genesis 28:10-19a

Verse 10. Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. Verse 11. On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. Verse 12. And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder. Verse 13. And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. Verse 14. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Verse 15. Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Verse 16. When Jacob woke up, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.” Verse 17. And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!” Verse 18. Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it, Verse 19. and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.

PSALM

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.

You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea,

even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”—

even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.

See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19

Text not available in the Berean Standard Bible.

FIRST READING

Isaiah 44:6-8

Verse 6. Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me. Verse 7. Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place. Verse 8. Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”

PSALM

Psalm 86:11-17

Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever.

For great is Your loving devotion to me; You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol.

The arrogant rise against me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life; they have no regard for You.

But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.

Turn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant.

Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be ashamed; for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

SECOND READING

Romans 8:12-25

Verse 12. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. Verse 13. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Verse 14. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Verse 15. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Verse 16. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Verse 17. And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. Verse 18. I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. Verse 19. The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. Verse 20. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope Verse 21. that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Verse 22. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. Verse 23. Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Verse 24. For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? Verse 25. But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

GOSPEL

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Verse 24. Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. Verse 25. But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. Verse 26. When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. Verse 27. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ Verse 28. ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ Verse 29. ‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. Verse 30. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’” Verse 36. Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Verse 37. He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Verse 38. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, Verse 39. and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Verse 40. As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. Verse 41. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. Verse 42. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Verse 43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.