Lectionary 10, Year B
Proper 5 The Sunday between June 5 and June 11 Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, the year of Mark Green
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The Gospel: Mark 3:20–35
Scribes claim Jesus casts out demons by Beelzebul, and he answers that a divided house cannot stand; he then calls those who do God’s will his family.
What is going on
So many people crowd around Jesus that he and his disciples cannot even eat. His own family hear about it and come to take him home, because people are saying he has lost his mind.
Teachers from Jerusalem say he drives out demons by the power of the devil. Jesus answers that a house divided against itself cannot stand, so the devil would not fight against himself.
When he is told that his mother and brothers are outside, he looks at the people sitting around him and says that whoever does the will of God is his brother, his sister and his mother.
Mark 3:20-35
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
20 The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.” 22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.” 23 He summoned them, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end. 27 But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then he will plunder his house. 28 Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme; 29 but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.” 30 —because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him. 32 A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.” 33 He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
The other readings
In the order they are read on Sunday, before the Gospel.
Genesis 3:8-15
The LORD God finds the man and woman hiding after eating from the forbidden tree, hears the man blame the woman and the woman blame the serpent, and curses the serpent.
Read it here
8 They heard the LORD God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 The LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 The LORD God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. You shall go on your belly and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 130
A cry from the depths, waiting for the LORD, who forgives and whose steadfast love brings full redemption.
Read it here
1 Out of the depths I have cried to you, the LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my petitions. 3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared. 5 I wait for the LORD. My soul waits. I hope in his word. 6 My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 Israel, hope in the LORD, for there is loving kindness with the LORD. Abundant redemption is with him. 8 He will redeem Israel from all their sins.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1
Paul tells the Corinthians that though the outer body wears away, the inner self is renewed daily, with an eternal home waiting in heaven.
Read it here
Chapter 4
13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak; 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory, 18 while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Chapter 5
1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
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: 1 Samuel 8:4–11 [12–15] 16–20 [11:14–15] and Psalm 138 in place of the first reading and psalm above.
A question to carry into the week
Jesus calls the people around him family. Who has been family to you, even without being related?
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 10 (Proper 5) · Revised Common Lectionary, Year B · the same Sunday at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Scripture text: World English Bible, public domain.
Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org Used by permission.