Lectionary 24, Year A

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.” ¹⁶ They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying, ¹⁷ ‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸ His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” ¹⁹ Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today. ²¹ Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.

¹ Praise the LORD, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! ² Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits, ³ who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, ⁵ who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ⁶ The LORD executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel. ⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. ⁹ He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ Like a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

¹ Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. ² One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. ⁴ Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand. ⁵ One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written, “ ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’ ” ¹² So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.