Readings for Sunday, 11/19/23
The 25th Sunday after Pentecost
COLLECT
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us
so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace
and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in
our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT
Judges 4:1-7
The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. So
the LORD sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor;
the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the
Israelites cried out to the LORD for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron,
and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.
At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used
to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of
Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned
Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The LORD, the
God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten
thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera,
the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and
his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’”
THE PSALM:
Psalm 123
Ad te levavi oculos meos
1 To you I lift up my eyes, *
to you enthroned in the heavens.
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
3 So our eyes look to the LORD our God, *
until he shows us his mercy.
4 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy, *
for we have had more than enough of contempt,
5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of the proud.
THE EPISTLE
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to
have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the
Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and
security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a
pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness,
for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children
of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as
others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and
those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be
sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of
salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through
our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we
may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as
indeed you are doing.
GOSPEL HYMN: Spirit of God
Spirit of God, un-seen as the wind, gentle as is the dove:
teach us the truth and help us believe, show us the Savior’s love!
- You spoke to us long, long a-go, gave us the written word; we read it still,
needing its truth, through it God’s voice is heard - With-out your help we fail our Lord, we can-not live his way; we need your
power, we need your strength, following Christ each day
THE GOSPEL
Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said, “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted
his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to
each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five
talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the
same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who
had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his
master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled
accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I
have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and
trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge
of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents
also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have
made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy
slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many
things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one
talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping
where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid,
and I went and hid your talent in the ground.