Lectionary 12, Year C
Proper 7 The Sunday between June 19 and June 25 Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, the year of Luke Green
Next read on .
The Gospel: Luke 8:26–39
Among the Gadarenes, Jesus frees a man possessed by many demons called Legion, sends them into pigs, and tells the man to share what God has done.
Luke 8:26-39
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!” 29 For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bonds apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him. 31 They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss. 32 Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. Then he allowed them. 33 The demons came out of the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned. 34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed. 37 All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. Then he entered into the boat and returned. 38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
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.
Isaiah 65:1-9
Through Isaiah, God says he reached out to a rebellious people who ignored him and will repay them, yet will spare his servants and give them the land.
Read it here
1 “I am inquired of by those who didn’t ask. I am found by those who didn’t seek me. I said, ‘See me, see me,’ to a nation that was not called by my name. 2 I have spread out my hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; 3 a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense on bricks; 4 who sit among the graves, and spend nights in secret places; who eat pig’s meat, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 5 who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day. 6 “Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will repay, yes, I will repay into their bosom, 7 your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together”, says the LORD, “who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills. Therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom.” 8 The LORD says, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for a blessing is in it:’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all. 9 I will bring offspring out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains. My chosen will inherit it, and my servants will dwell there.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 22:19-28
A cry for the LORD to come quickly and rescue, turning to praise for God, who hears the afflicted and rules the nations.
Read it here
19 But don’t be far off, the LORD. You are my help. Hurry to help me! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. 22 I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard. 25 My praise of you comes in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him. 26 The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the LORD who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever. 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s. He is the ruler over the nations.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Galatians 3:23-29
Paul tells the Galatians that all who are baptized into Christ are God’s children, with no divide of Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.
Read it here
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.
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 Kings 19:1–4 [5–7] 8–15a and Psalm 42 and 43 in place of the first reading and psalm above.
A question to carry into the week
What is one thing Jesus says or does in this Gospel that you want to remember this week?
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 12 (Proper 7) · Revised Common Lectionary, Year C · 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.