The Daily Lectionary, Pentecost 5A

The Daily Lectionary, Pentecost 5A

Readings for the Week of the Fifth Sunday of Pentecost, Year A

Join us for Morning Prayer in the chapel, Monday through Friday* at 8:30am, where we read and discuss these Scriptures and pray together. We do the same during Vespers in the parsonage Sunday evenings at 6pm. Join us! The parsonage is across the street from the church. 

Our readings for the week of the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost are listed below. Each verse is linked. Click the link to read online or read in your Bible. The additional reading each day speaks to the common conversation between the three readings.

Absolute Dependence and Trust 

Sunday: Numbers 6:22–27; Acts 13:1–12; Luke 12:41–48

The individual yields to God when he gives himself wholly to God, attempting nothing of himself but permitting the Lord to work in and to rule him; when his whole concern and fear, his continual prayer and desire, are for God to withhold him from following his own works and ways, which he now recognizes as ungodly and deserving of wrath, and to rule over and work in him through grace.

Martin Luther, “First Christmas Sermon: Christmas Eve Service,” in Luther’s Christmas Sermons: Epistles, trans. John Nicholas Lenker, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: The Luther Press, 1908), 126.

Monday: Numbers 9:15–23, 10:29–36; Romans 1:1–15; Matthew 17:14–21

The Holy Spirit Applies Christ’s Redemption to Me. Notice Luther emphasizes “I” and “me” as the Creed does in “I believe.” “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him,” is the connecting link between the second and third articles of our faith. We are morally unable to apply the redemption even after it is provided. We can no more sanctify ourselves than we could have created and redeemed ourselves. 2 Cor 3:5; 1 Cor 2:14; Jn 15:5.

Martin Luther, Luther’s Catechetical Writings: God’s Call to Repentance, Faith and Prayer, trans. John Nicholas Lenker, vol. I, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: The Luther Press, 1907), 127.

Tuesday: Numbers 11:1–23; Romans 1:16–25; Matthew 17:22–27

...as St. Bernhard says, ingratitude is an evil damnable and pernicious enough to quench all the springs of grace and blessing known to God and men; it is like a poison-laden, burning, destructive wind. Human nature will not tolerate it. Nor can God permit you, upon whom he has bestowed all grace and goodness, all spiritual and temporal blessing, to go on continually in wickedness, defiantly abusing his benevolence and dishonoring him; you thus recklessly bring upon yourself his wrath. For God cannot bless you if you are ungrateful, if you reject his goodness and give it no place in your heart.

Martin Luther, “Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity (Philippians 1:3–11),” in Luther’s Epistle Sermons: Trinity Sunday to Advent, trans. John Nicholas Lenker, vol. III, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: The Luther Press, 1909), 336.

Wednesday: Numbers 11:24–35; Romans 1:28–2:11; Matthew 18:1–9

As pride or trust in self is the animating principle of the wicked, so is faith or trust in God that of the good. Faith the root of all moral and spiritual excellence in the soul. As the proud soul stands aloof from God, the humble heart cleaves to God, as “that which is straight, being applied to what is straight, touches and is touched by it everywhere.” 

H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Habakkuk, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 30.

Thursday: Numbers 12:1–16; Romans 2:12–24; Matthew 18:10–20

Therefore, is thy brother a sinner, then cover his sin and pray for him. Dost thou publish his sins, then truly thou art not a child of your merciful Father; for otherwise thou wouldst be also as he, merciful. It is certainly true that we cannot show as great mercy to our neighbor, as God has to us; but it is the true work of the devil that we do the very opposite of mercy, which is a sure sign that there is not a grain of mercy in us.

Martin Luther, “Fourth Sunday after Trinity (Luke 6:36–42),” in Luther’s Church Postil: Gospels: First to Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, ed. and trans. John Nicholas Lenker, vol. IV, The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther (Minneapolis, MN: Lutherans in All Lands Co., 1904), 107.

Friday: Numbers 13:1–3, 21–30; Romans 2:25–3:8; Matthew 18:21–35

Observe, ’tis not in the power of the law to alter or change us, to soften and mollify our hard hearts; that work belongs to Christ and His gospel, to His grace and Spirit. We see this work restrained to the new covenant; ’tis proper to the gospel (Jer. 31:31). The law teaches us, but the gospel enables us; that gives and works in us what the law requires of us (John 1:17). The law hath power of conviction, but ’tis the gospel only hath a power of conversion. The law, that’s the hammer that knocks at the door of our hearts; but the gospel, that’s the key that opens it, puts back the bar of obduration, and lets in grace and the Spirit into it. 3. These men were very forward in outward devotion, frequenters of the synagogues, great Sabbatarians, and yet under all this seeming sanctity Christ espies a dead, hard, wicked heart lurking. Observe, seeming and outside sanctity may go together, and consist with inward and spiritual hardness and obstinacy. ’Tis the true constitution of a hypocrite; he is all for the outside of religion—there he is excellent; he will outgo and exceed all others in show: but look upon his heart; he wholly neglects it; that’s full of hardness and stubborn impiety. 

John Henry Burn, Mark, The Preacher’s Complete Homiletic Commentary (New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1892), 93.

Saturday: Numbers 13:31–14:25; Romans 3:9–20; Matthew 19:1–12

The law requires the heart, which cannot be performed by them that are not as yet regenerated by the spirit; therefore it must needs be that all the sons of Adam are guilty of transgressing the law; and unless Christ perform that which the law requires of them, they must perish by the curse thereof.... As the law stays us with threatenings and promises, we oftentimes abstain from evil, and do those things that are good; howbeit, we do them not for the love of goodness and hatred of evil, but for fear of punishment, and in anticipation of reward: wherefore being left to ourselves, we are servants of the law; neither do we hear it any otherwise than servants do their hard and cruel master.

Martin Luther, “Sermon II: Being a Continuation of the First,” in A Selection of the Most Celebrated Sermons of Martin Luther (New York: S. & D. A. Forbes, 1830), 48–49.

*We do not meet in the chapel on Saturdays. On Sundays, we meet in the parsonage at 6pm to discuss the readings.

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