Lectionary 28, Year A
Proper 23 The Sunday between October 9 and October 15 Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, the year of Matthew Green
Next read on .
The Gospel: Matthew 22:1–14
The parable of a king’s wedding feast: the invited guests refuse to come, others are gathered from the roads, and a guest without wedding clothes is thrown out.
What is going on
Jesus tells of a king who gives a wedding feast for his son, but the invited guests refuse to come.
So the king sends his servants into the streets to invite everyone they find, good and bad, until the hall is full.
One guest arrives without wedding clothes and is thrown out. Many Lutheran preachers connect those clothes to baptism, where Paul says we are clothed with Christ.
Matthew 22:1-14
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
1 Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!” ’ 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, 6 and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. 9 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ 14 For many are called, but few chosen.”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
This parable, The Wedding Feast, explained on Free Scripture
The other readings
In the order they are read on Sunday, before the Gospel.
Isaiah 25:1-9
Isaiah praises God as a refuge for the poor and promises a rich feast for all peoples on the mountain, where God swallows up death forever.
Read it here
1 O LORD, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth. 2 For you have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city. It will never be built. 3 Therefore a strong people will glorify you. A city of awesome nations will fear you. 4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the dreaded ones is like a storm against the wall. 5 As the heat in a dry place you will bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the dreaded ones will be brought low. 6 In this mountain, the LORD of Armies will make all peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast of choice wines, of choice meat full of marrow, of well refined choice wines. 7 He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord the LORD will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for the LORD has spoken it. 9 It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is the LORD! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 23
A song of trust in the LORD as shepherd, who leads, restores, and stays close even in the darkest valley.
Read it here
1 The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD’s house forever.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Philippians 4:1-9
Paul urges the Philippians to rejoice always, pray instead of worrying, and fill their thoughts with whatever is true, honorable, and lovely.
Read it here
1 Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 2 I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. 3 Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things. 9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Some congregations follow the RCL’s other track this Sunday, which reads an Old Testament book straight through over several weeks: Exodus 32:1–14 and Psalm 106:1–6, 19–23 in place of the first reading and psalm above.
A question to carry into the week
Who would you be surprised to find sitting next to you at God’s feast?
For your newsletter or sermon notes
These readings are told as stories on our sister site, Free Scripture, one scene at a time in plain words. The lines below are ready to paste. The next eight Sundays, and every story.
Lectionary 28 (Proper 23) · Revised Common Lectionary, Year A · the same Sunday at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Scripture text: World English Bible, public domain.
A provisional alternative for this day
The Consultation on Common Texts has commended alternative readings to the churches for a three-year trial, reexamining passages historically misused to justify violence against Jews. The ELCA helped shape the work and encourages congregations to test it through 2028. The readings above remain the authorized ones. This is what the trial would change.
- Second reading
- Acts 8:14-25
Peter and John in Samaria.
The proposal (CCT) Preaching guidance (ELCA)
Provisional alternative readings commended by the Consultation on Common Texts for trial use, 2025–2028. Citations as published in a worship resource copyright © 2025 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reproduced for local, nonsale use.
Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org Used by permission.