Lectionary Readings for Sunday 5.12.24 (Easter 7, Year B)
The interwoven story of Christ in the Scriptures
Enter the Story
Eastertide
The Season of Easter (often called Eastertide or The Great Fifty Days) is the theological center of the liturgical year. It begins with the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening and continues fifty days until Pentecost. In sum, the season is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, the events that proceed from the resurrection (discovery of the empty tomb, appearances of the risen Christ, the ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit), the beginnings of the post-resurrection church (as narrated in the Acts of the Apostles), and the theological and existential implications of the resurrection for a life of faith. 1
Weekly Collect Prayer
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Liturgical Color - White or Gold
Monday 5.6.24: John 17:6–19 (The Jesus Story)
Jesus closes his farewell discourse to the disciples with a prayer for the disciples. As he prepares to depart to be with God, he prays out of his intimacy with God that God protect and unify his followers.
John 17:6-19 (NRSVue)
6 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Summary
Jesus prays for his followers, the ones to whom he has revealed God’s name and God’s word which is truth. He prays that God would keep them safe, would make them one as he and the Father are one, and would make them holy in the truth.
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Tuesday 5.7.24: 1 John 5:9–13
We read from 1 John one last time during Eastertide. Today’s lesson is the exclamation point on the author’s claim to be upholding the true Christian faith over against his theological opponents. Specifically, the author claims that the theology he promotes proceeds from the testimony of God while that of his opponents has a human origin.
1 John 5:9-13 (NRSVue)
9 If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. 10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Summary
God has testified about Jesus that life is in him, and whoever has God’s Son has life eternal, so if we believe God’s testimony, we have this life.
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Wednesday 5.8.24: Acts 1:15–17, 21–26
According to Acts, after Jesus’ resurrection the community of disciples began to prepare to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. An important element of that preparation was replacing Judas so that the twelve apostles would be in place and ready to lead the community of faith. Appropriate to Eastertide, one of the primary qualifications for being an apostle was having witnessed the resurrection.
Acts 1:15–17, 21–26 (NRSVue)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
21 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Summary: Peter suggests that the disciples should find a replacement for Judas, so they select two candidates and draw lots, and Matthias is added as an apostle to join the other eleven.
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Thursday 5.9.24: Psalm 1
In our reading from Acts, Matthias is chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve apostles. The contrast between Matthias and Judas is echoed in today’s Psalter reading. It contrasts the ways of the righteous and of the wicked.
Psalm 1 (NRSVue)
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
or sit in the seat of scoffers,
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are not so
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Summary: Those who love God’s instruction and refuse to join in the company and works of the wicked are truly happy and bear fruit, while the wicked are ultimately destroyed.
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Friday 5.10.24: Find the Story Threads
How does these passages point to Jesus?
How does these passages connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does these passages shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Check out my post this Friday where I will share the Story Threads that I found.
https://pcpe.smu.edu/01b_Year_B.pdf