Lectionary 26, Year C
Proper 21 The Sunday between September 25 and October 1 Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, the year of Luke Green
Next read on .
The Gospel: Luke 16:19–31
Jesus tells of a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus; after death, Lazarus is comforted beside Abraham while the rich man suffers and begs for help.
Luke 16:19-31
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24 He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30 “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’ ”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
This parable, The Rich Man and Lazarus, explained on Free Scripture
The other readings
In the order they are read on Sunday, before the Gospel.
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Through Amos, God warns the comfortable leaders of Zion and Samaria, who feast and lounge but ignore their nation’s ruin, that they will be first into exile.
Read it here
1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
4 Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the middle of the stall; 5 who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 7 Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 146
A song of praise for the LORD, who made all things, feeds the hungry, frees prisoners, and cares for strangers, orphans, and widows.
Read it here
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, my soul. 2 While I live, I will praise the LORD. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist. 3 Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help. 4 His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD, his God: 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners. 8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down. The LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down. 10 The LORD will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Paul says contentment is great gain and the love of money a root of evil, and tells Timothy to charge the rich to be generous.
Read it here
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. 8 But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. 13 I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, 14 that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. 16 He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen. 17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; 19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.
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: Jeremiah 32:1–3a, 6–15 and Psalm 91:1–6, 14–16 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
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 26 (Proper 21) · 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.