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The Third Sunday After the Epiphany |
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The Beginning of the Galilean
Ministry |
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Lesson -
Nehemiah 8:2-10 |
Ezra Summons the People to Obey the Law
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and
women and all who could hear with understanding, on the
first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early
morning until midday, in the presence of the men and
the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people
were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the
purpose; and beside him stood Mattithi'ah, Shema,
Anai'ah, Uri'ah, Hilki'ah, and Ma-asei'ah on his right hand; and Pedai'ah,
Mish'a-el, Malchi'jah, Hashum, Hash-bad'danah,
Zechari'ah, and Meshul'lam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above
all the people; and when he opened it all the
people stood. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God; and all the people answered,
"Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jesh'ua, Bani, Sherebi'ah, Jamin, Akkub, Shab'bethai, Hodi'ah, Ma-asei'ah,
Keli'ta, Azari'ah, Jo'zabad, Hanan, Pelai'ah,
the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people
remained in their places. And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave
the sense, so that the people understood the
reading. And Nehemi'ah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and
the Levites who taught the people said to all the
people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For
all the people wept when they heard the words of the
law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and
send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the
LORD is your strength."
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Epistle -
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 |
One Body With Many Members
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of
the body, though many, are one body, so it is with
Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks,
slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one
Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the
body," that would not make it any less a part of
the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to
the body," that would not make it any less a part of
the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole
body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as
he chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the
head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are
indispensable, and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we invest with
the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are
treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed
the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior
part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have
the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored,
all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
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Gospel -
Luke 4:14-21 |
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report
concerning him went out through all the surrounding
country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to
the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day.
And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the
book and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach
good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down;
and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on
him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in
your hearing."
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