Mark 10:35-52
[35]
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to
him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” [36]
And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” [37] And they
said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your
left, in your glory.” [38] Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you
are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be
baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” [39] And they said
to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you
will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be
baptized, [40] but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to
grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” [41] And when
the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. [42]
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who
are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great
ones exercise authority over them. [43] But it shall not be so among
you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [44] and
whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. [45] For even
the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many.”
[46]
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his
disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of
Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. [47] And when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!” [48] And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” [49]
And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man,
saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” [50] And
throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. [51] And Jesus
said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said
to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” [52] And Jesus said to him,
“Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he
recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
2 Corinthians 3
[1]
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do,
letters of recommendation to you, or from you? [2] You yourselves are
our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and
read by all. [3] And you show that you are a letter from Christ
delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living
God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
[4]
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. [5] Not
that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us,
but our sufficiency is from God, [6] who has made us sufficient to be
ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For
the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
[7]
Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with
such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of
its glory, which was being brought to an end, [8] will not the ministry
of the Spirit have even more glory? [9] For if there was glory in the
ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed
it in glory. [10] Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to
have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. [11] For
if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what
is permanent have glory.
[12]
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, [13] not like Moses, who
would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at
the outcome of what was being brought to an end. [14] But their minds
were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that
same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken
away. [15] Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over
their hearts. [16] But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
[17] Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom. [18] And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one
degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the
Spirit.
Psalm 98
A Psalm.
[1] Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
[2] The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
[3] He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
[4] Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
[5] Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
[6] With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
[7] Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
[8] Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
[9] before the LORD, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
1 Samuel 9
[1]
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son
of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of
wealth. [2] And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man.
There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he.
From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
[3]
Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul
his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look
for the donkeys.” [4] And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim
and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them.
And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there.
Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
[5]
When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was
with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the
donkeys and become anxious about us.” [6] But he said to him, “Behold,
there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in
honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he
can tell us the way we should go.” [7] Then Saul said to his servant,
“But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is
gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we
have?” [8] The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a
quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to
tell us our way.” [9] (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of
God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was
formerly called a seer.) [10] And Saul said to his servant, “Well said;
come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
[11]
As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out
to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” [12] They answered,
“He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to
the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.
[13] As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up
to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes,
since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will
eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” [14] So they went up
to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out
toward them on his way up to the high place.
[15]
Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: [16]
“Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of
Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel.
He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have
seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” [17] When Samuel saw
Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it
is who shall restrain my people.” [18] Then Saul approached Samuel in
the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” [19] Samuel
answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for
today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and
will tell you all that is on your mind. [20] As for your donkeys that
were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have
been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not
for you and for all your father’s house?” [21] Saul answered, “Am I not a
Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan
the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have
you spoken to me in this way?”
[22]
Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall
and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who
were about thirty persons. [23] And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the
portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” [24] So the
cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And
Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was
kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the
guests.”
So
Saul ate with Samuel that day. [25] And when they came down from the
high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he
lay down to sleep. [26] Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul
on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and
both he and Samuel went out into the street.
[27]
As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to
Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on,
stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word
of God.”
1 Samuel 10
[1]
Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed
him and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his
people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you
will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this
shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince
over his heritage. [2] When you depart from me today, you will meet two
men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they
will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now
your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about
you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ [3] Then you shall go on
from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to
God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats,
another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of
wine. [4] And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread,
which you shall accept from their hand. [5] After that you shall come to
Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And
there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of
prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute,
and lyre before them, prophesying. [6] Then the Spirit of the LORD will
rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into
another man. [7] Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds
to do, for God is with you. [8] Then go down before me to Gilgal. And
behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to
sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to
you and show you what you shall do.”
[9]
When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart.
And all these signs came to pass that day. [10] When they came to
Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God
rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. [11] And when all who
knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people
said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also
among the prophets?” [12] And a man of the place answered, “And who is
their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the
prophets?” [13] When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high
place.
[14]
Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he
said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found,
we went to Samuel.” [15] And Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what
Samuel said to you.” [16] And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us
plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the
kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.
[17]
Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah. [18] And
he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of
the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were
oppressing you.’ [19] But today you have rejected your God, who saves
you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to
him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the
LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.”
[20]
Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of
Benjamin was taken by lot. [21] He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by
its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the
son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be
found. [22] So they inquired again of the LORD, “Is there a man still to
come?” and the LORD said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the
baggage.” [23] Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood
among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his
shoulders upward. [24] And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see
him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none like him among all the
people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
[25]
Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and
he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent
all the people away, each one to his home. [26] Saul also went to his
home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had
touched. [27] But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save
us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his
peace.
