Lectionary Readings for Sunday 3.10.24 (Lent 4, Year B)
The interwoven story of Christ in the Scriptures
Enter the Story
Lent
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and extends through Holy Week. It is a season of fasting and penitence rooted in the ancient church’s practice of preparing adult converts for baptism on Easter Day. Modeled on the forty days Jesus fasted in the wilderness, Lent is forty days long. However, because fasting is not appropriate on the day of resurrection (and since every Sunday is a little Easter), the forty-day period does not include Sundays. Thus the church often speaks of Sundays in Lent as opposed to Sundays of Lent (compare the Sundays of Advent). This year during Lent, the readings are focused, to a great extent, on the dual themes of covenant and Jesus’ crucifixion. 1
Weekly Collect Prayer
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.2
Liturgical Color - Purple
Monday 3.4.24: John 3:14–21 (The Jesus Story)
Our Gospel lesson comes from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus concerning the nature of salvation effected through Christ. The portion of the conversation we read begins with Jesus referring to our First Testament lection in which Moses lifts up the bronze snake in the wilderness.
John 3:14-21 (CEB)
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up
15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life.
17 God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him isn't judged; whoever doesn't believe in him is already judged, because they don't believe in the name of God's only Son.
19 " This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil.
20 All who do wicked things hate the light and don't come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light.
21 Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God."
Summary: As the snake was lifted up on a pole in the desert, so Christ is to be lifted up so that all who seek to be saved may look to him. God sent him into the world to save, not condemn, but those who love darkness rather than light are already condemned, because they want to keep their actions hidden and not have them exposed.3
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 3.5.24: Ephesians 2:1-10
With Lent’s emphasis on converts preparing for baptism, it is appropriate that we read from Ephesians, where the author contrasts the audience’s life before and after entering the Christian faith in terms of the contrast between death and resurrection.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT)
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,
5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Summary: Though we once followed the ways of the world and were dead in our sins, deserving judgement like anyone else, God saved us through Christ, as an act of grace that we did not earn. But God has created us to do good works in Christ.
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 3.6.24: Numbers 21:4–9
As with last week’s First Testament reading, this week’s comes from the story of the exodus. The reading contains the familiar theme of the Hebrews complaining against God during the wilderness journey. It is an odd story, however, for modern ears, in that God punishes the people’s sin by sending poisonous snakes into their midst. But God then heals those who are bitten by having Moses raise up a bronze snake in the middle of the camp.
Numbers 21:4-9 (NLT)
4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey,
5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”
6 So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.
7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”
9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!
Summary: The people of Israel complain about being in the desert because there is no food or water and they don’t like the food God has provided. Then a plague of snakes attacks them and they ask for forgiveness and salvation. God instructs Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole so that anyone who is bitten by a snake can look at the bronze snake and be healed.
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 3.7.24: Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22
Psalm 107 is a lengthy prayer of thanksgiving for deliverance from various troubles. The portion of the psalm we read today echoes our reading from Numbers in that it offers thanks to God for saving those whose sinful ways brought upon them terrible illness.
Psalms 107:1-3, 17-22 (CEB)
1 "Give thanks to the LORD because he is good, because his faithful love lasts forever!"
2 That's what those who are redeemed by the LORD say, the ones God redeemed from the power of their enemies,
3 the ones God gathered from various countries, from east and west, north and south.
17 Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways. They suffered because of their wickedness.
18 They had absolutely no appetite for food; they had arrived at death's gates.
19 So they cried out to the LORD in their distress, and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
20 God gave the order and healed them; he rescued them from their pit.
21 Let them thank the LORD for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all people.
22 Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and declare what God has donein songs of joy!
Summary: A song of praise for God who punished those who, in their foolishness disobeyed and rebelled, but who forgave and saved them when they called out to God.
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 3.8.24: 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
https://www.lectionarypage.net/
https://sacredise.com/