Lectionary 31, Year B
Proper 26 The Sunday between October 30 and November 5 Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, the year of Mark Green
Next read on . Most ELCA congregations keep Reformation Sunday that day instead.
The Gospel: Mark 12:28–34
A scribe asks which commandment is greatest, and Jesus names loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
What is going on
In Jerusalem, a teacher of the law hears Jesus answering hard questions well, and asks him which commandment is the most important.
Jesus answers with words every Jewish person knew by heart: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself.
The teacher agrees, and says this matters more than all the offerings at the temple. Jesus tells him he is not far from the kingdom of God.
Mark 12:28-34
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
28 One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.
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.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Moses tells Israel that the LORD is one, commands them to love God with all their heart, and to teach these words to their children.
Read it here
1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land that you go over to possess; 2 that you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you—you, your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 Hear, Israel: the LORD is our God. The LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 119:1-8
A prayer of longing to walk faithfully in the LORD’s teaching, blessing those who keep it with a whole heart.
Read it here
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the LORD’s law. 2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart. 3 Yes, they do nothing wrong. They walk in his ways. 4 You have commanded your precepts, that we should fully obey them. 5 Oh that my ways were steadfast to obey your statutes! 6 Then I wouldn’t be disappointed, when I consider all of your commandments. 7 I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments. 8 I will observe your statutes. Don’t utterly forsake me.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Hebrews 9:11-14
The letter to the Hebrews says Christ entered God’s presence with his own blood, not animal blood, to cleanse consciences for serving the living God.
Read it here
11 But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
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: Ruth 1:1–18 and Psalm 146 in place of the first reading and psalm above.
A question to carry into the week
Love God, and love your neighbor. Which of the two is harder for you right now?
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 31 (Proper 26) · 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.