October 22

John 6:60-71

The Words of Eternal Life

[60] When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” [61] But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? [62] Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? [63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. [64] But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) [65] And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

[66] After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. [67] So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” [68] Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, [69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” [70] Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” [71] He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

1 Peter 4:1-11

Stewards of God’s Grace

[1] Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, [2] so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. [3] For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. [4] With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; [5] but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. [6] For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. [8] Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: [11] whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Song of Solomon 6

Others

    [1] Where has your beloved gone,

        O most beautiful among women?

    Where has your beloved turned,

        that we may seek him with you?

Together in the Garden of Love

She

    [2] My beloved has gone down to his garden

        to the beds of spices,

    to graze in the gardens

        and to gather lilies. 

    [3] I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;

        he grazes among the lilies.

    Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

    [4] You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love,

        lovely as Jerusalem,

        awesome as an army with banners. 

    [5] Turn away your eyes from me,

        for they overwhelm me—

    Your hair is like a flock of goats

        leaping down the slopes of Gilead. 

    [6] Your teeth are like a flock of ewes

        that have come up from the washing;

    all of them bear twins;

        not one among them has lost its young. 

    [7] Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate

        behind your veil. 

    [8] There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,

        and virgins without number. 

    [9] My dove, my perfect one, is the only one,

        the only one of her mother,

        pure to her who bore her.

    The young women saw her and called her blessed;

        the queens and concubines also, and they praised her.

    [10] “Who is this who looks down like the dawn,

        beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun,

        awesome as an army with banners?”

    She

    [11] I went down to the nut orchard

        to look at the blossoms of the valley,

    to see whether the vines had budded,

        whether the pomegranates were in bloom. 

    [12] Before I was aware, my desire set me

        among the chariots of my kinsman, a prince.

    Others

    [13]  Return, return, O Shulammite,

        return, return, that we may look upon you.

Lamentations 1

How Lonely Sits the City

    [1] How lonely sits the city

        that was full of people!

    How like a widow has she become,

        she who was great among the nations!

    She who was a princess among the provinces

        has become a slave.

    [2] She weeps bitterly in the night,

        with tears on her cheeks;

    among all her lovers

        she has none to comfort her;

    all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;

        they have become her enemies.

    [3] Judah has gone into exile because of affliction

        and hard servitude;

    she dwells now among the nations,

        but finds no resting place;

    her pursuers have all overtaken her

        in the midst of her distress.

    [4] The roads to Zion mourn,

        for none come to the festival;

    all her gates are desolate;

        her priests groan;

    her virgins have been afflicted,

        and she herself suffers bitterly.

    [5] Her foes have become the head;

        her enemies prosper,

    because the LORD has afflicted her

        for the multitude of her transgressions;

    her children have gone away,

        captives before the foe.

    [6] From the daughter of Zion

        all her majesty has departed.

    Her princes have become like deer

        that find no pasture;

    they fled without strength

        before the pursuer.

    [7] Jerusalem remembers

        in the days of her affliction and wandering

    all the precious things

        that were hers from days of old.

    When her people fell into the hand of the foe,

        and there was none to help her,

    her foes gloated over her;

        they mocked at her downfall.

    [8] Jerusalem sinned grievously;

        therefore she became filthy;

    all who honored her despise her,

        for they have seen her nakedness;

    she herself groans

        and turns her face away.

    [9] Her uncleanness was in her skirts;

        she took no thought of her future;

    therefore her fall is terrible;

        she has no comforter.

    “O LORD, behold my affliction,

        for the enemy has triumphed!”

    [10] The enemy has stretched out his hands

        over all her precious things;

    for she has seen the nations

        enter her sanctuary,

    those whom you forbade

        to enter your congregation.

    [11] All her people groan

        as they search for bread;

    they trade their treasures for food

        to revive their strength.

    “Look, O LORD, and see,

        for I am despised.”

    [12] “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

        Look and see

    if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,

        which was brought upon me,

    which the LORD inflicted

        on the day of his fierce anger.

    [13] “From on high he sent fire;

        into my bones he made it descend;

    he spread a net for my feet;

        he turned me back;

    he has left me stunned,

        faint all the day long.

    [14] “My transgressions were bound into a yoke;

        by his hand they were fastened together;

    they were set upon my neck;

        he caused my strength to fail;

    the Lord gave me into the hands

        of those whom I cannot withstand.

    [15] “The Lord rejected

        all my mighty men in my midst;

    he summoned an assembly against me

        to crush my young men;

    the Lord has trodden as in a winepress

        the virgin daughter of Judah.

    [16] “For these things I weep;

        my eyes flow with tears;

    for a comforter is far from me,

        one to revive my spirit;

    my children are desolate,

        for the enemy has prevailed.”

    [17] Zion stretches out her hands,

        but there is none to comfort her;

    the LORD has commanded against Jacob

        that his neighbors should be his foes;

    Jerusalem has become

        a filthy thing among them.

    [18] “The LORD is in the right,

        for I have rebelled against his word;

    but hear, all you peoples,

        and see my suffering;

    my young women and my young men

        have gone into captivity.

    [19] “I called to my lovers,

        but they deceived me;

    my priests and elders

        perished in the city,

    while they sought food

        to revive their strength.

    [20] “Look, O LORD, for I am in distress;

        my stomach churns;

    my heart is wrung within me,

        because I have been very rebellious.

    In the street the sword bereaves;

        in the house it is like death.

    [21] “They heard my groaning,

        yet there is no one to comfort me.

    All my enemies have heard of my trouble;

        they are glad that you have done it.

    You have brought the day you announced;

        now let them be as I am.

    [22] “Let all their evildoing come before you,

        and deal with them

    as you have dealt with me

        because of all my transgressions;

    for my groans are many,

        and my heart is faint.”