Lectionary 11, Year B
Proper 6 The Sunday between June 12 and June 18 Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, the year of Mark Green
Next read on .
The Gospel: Mark 4:26–34
Jesus compares God’s Kingdom to seed that grows while the farmer sleeps and to a tiny mustard seed that becomes a large plant.
What is going on
Jesus teaches by the Sea of Galilee in short stories called parables, taken from farming life that everyone knew.
He says God’s kingdom is like seed a farmer scatters on the ground. The farmer sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed grows, though he does not know how.
It is also like a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds, which grows into a plant big enough for birds to nest in its shade.
Mark 4:26-34
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
26 He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how. 28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30 He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? 31 It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, 32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
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.
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Through Ezekiel, God promises to plant a tender cedar shoot on Israel’s high mountain, where it will grow tall and shelter birds of every kind.
Read it here
22 “The Lord the LORD says: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches. 24 All the trees of the field will know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “ ‘I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.’ ”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15
A song of thanks for God’s love and faithfulness, picturing the righteous flourishing like trees and bearing fruit in old age.
Read it here
1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, Most High, 2 to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night, 3 with the ten-stringed lute, with the harp, and with the melody of the lyre. 4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands.
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the LORD’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts. 14 They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green, 15 to show that the LORD is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 [11-13] 14-17
Paul tells the Corinthians that Christ’s love drives him, because Christ died for all, and anyone in Christ is a new creation.
Read it here
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. 10 For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences. 12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died. 15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. 16 Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
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 15:34—16:13 and Psalm 20 in place of the first reading and psalm above.
A question to carry into the week
The seed grows while the farmer sleeps. Where might God be at work that you cannot see yet?
For your newsletter or sermon notes
This reading is told as a story 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 11 (Proper 6) · 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.