Lectionary 8, Year B
Proper 3 A Sunday after Pentecost Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, the year of Mark
Not appointed in the next three years: the calendar only reaches this Sunday when Easter falls early or late.
The Gospel: Mark 2:13–22
Jesus calls Levi the tax collector and eats with sinners, then answers a question about fasting with sayings about a bridegroom, patches, and new wine.
What is going on
Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to follow him. Tax collectors worked for the Romans and were often dishonest, so most people avoided them.
Levi gives a dinner, and many tax collectors and sinners eat with Jesus. Some religious teachers ask why he eats with people like that, and he says he came to call sinners, the way a doctor comes for the sick.
When people ask why his disciples do not fast, he says a wedding is no time for fasting while the bridegroom is there. New wine needs new wineskins.
Mark 2:13-22
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
13 He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. 14 As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him. 15 He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. 16 The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?” 19 Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can’t fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made. 22 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins.”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
This parable, New Wine in Old Wineskins, explained on Free Scripture
The other readings
In the order they are read on Sunday, before the Gospel.
Hosea 2:14-20
The LORD promises to lead his people into the wilderness, speak tenderly to them, and betroth them to himself forever in faithfulness and love.
Read it here
14 “Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. 15 I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. 16 It will be in that day,” says the LORD, “that you will call me ‘my husband,’ and no longer call me ‘my master.’ 17 For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name. 18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely. 19 I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion. 20 I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 103:1-13, 22
A song of praise to the LORD, who forgives, heals, and shows compassion like a loving parent to his children.
Read it here
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.
22 Praise the LORD, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul!
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
2 Corinthians 3:1-6
Paul tells the Corinthians they are his letter of recommendation, written by the Spirit on human hearts, for the written code kills but the Spirit gives life.
Read it here
1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh. 4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God, 5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
A question to carry into the week
Jesus ate with people others kept away from. Who would be surprised to be invited to your table?
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 8 (Proper 3) · Revised Common Lectionary, Year B . Scripture text: World English Bible, public domain.
Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org Used by permission.