Jonah 3:10-4:11
A reading from the book of Jonah.
When God saw what they people of Nineveh did,
how they turned from their evil ways,
God changed his mind about the calamity
that he had said he would bring upon them,
and he did not do it.
But this was very displeasing to Jonah,
and he became angry.
He prayed to the Lord and said,
“O Lord!
Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning,
for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting from punishment.
And now, O Lord,
please take my life from me,
for it is better for me to die than to live.”
And the Lord said,
“Is it right for you to be angry?”
Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city
and made a booth for himself there.
He sat under it in the shade,
waiting to see what would become of the city.
The Lord God appointed a bush
and made it come up over Jonah,
to give shade over his head,
to save him from his discomfort,
so Jonah was very happy about the bush.
But when dawn came up the next day,
God appointed a worm that attacked the bush,
so that it withered.
When the sun rose,
God prepared a sultry east wind,
and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah
so that he was faint and asked that he might die.
He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
But God said to Jonah,
“Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?”
And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.”
Then the Lord said,
“You are concerned about the bush,
for which you did not labour and which you did not grow;
it came into being in a night and perished in a night.
And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which
there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who
do not know their right hand from their left and also many animals?”
Philippians 1:21-30
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians.
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me,
yet I cannot say which I will choose.
I am hard pressed between the two:
my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better,
but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.
Since I am convinced of this,
I know that I will remain and continue with all of you
for your progress and joy in faith,
so that, I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus
when I come to you again.
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,
so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you,
I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit,
striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel
and in no way intimidated by your opponents.
For them, this is evidence of their destruction
but of your salvation.
And this is God’s doing.
For he has graciously granted you the privilege
not only of believing in Christ but of suffering for him as well,
since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had
and now hear that I still have.
Matthew 20:1-16
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus said to his disciples:
The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with the laborers for the ususal daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
When he went out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard,
and I will pay you whatever is right.’
So they went.
When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock,
he did the same.
And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around,
and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’
They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager,
‘Call the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and then going to the first.’
When those hired about five o’clock came,
each of them received the usual daily wage.
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more;
but each of them also received the usual daily wage.
And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,
saying, ‘These last worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us
who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong;
did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what belongs to you and go;
I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
Or are you envious because I am generous?’
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Genesis 50:15-21
A reading from the book of Genesis.
Realizing that their father was dead,
Joseph’s brothers said,
“What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us
and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?”
So they approached Joseph, saying,
“Your father gave this instruction before he died,
‘Say to Joseph:
I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers
and the wrong they did in harming you.’
Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.”
Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Then his brothers also wept,
fell down before him, and said,
“We are here as your slaves.”
But Joseph said to them,
“Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God?
Even though you intended to do harm to me,
God intended it for good,
in order to preserve a numerous people,
as he is doing today.
So have no fear;
I myself will provide for you and your little ones.”
In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.
Romans 14:1-12
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Welcome those who are weak in faith
but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.
Some believe in eating anything,
while the weak eat only vegetables.
Those who eat must not despise those who abstain,
and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat,
for God has welcomed them.
Who are you to pass judgment on slaves of another?
It is before their own lord that they stand or fall.
And they will be upheld,
for the Lord is able to make them stand.
Some judge one day to be better than another,
while others judge all days to be alike.
Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.
Those who observe the day,
observe it for the Lord.
Also those who eat, eat for the Lord,
since they give thanks to God,
while those who abstain,
abstain for the Lord and give thanks to God.
For we do not live to ourselves,
and we do not die to ourselves.
If we live, we live to the Lord,
and if we die, we die to the Lord; s
o then, whether we live or whether we die,
we are the Lord’s.
For to this end Christ died and lived again,
so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then, each one of us will be held accountable to God.
Matthew 18:21-35
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Peter came and said to Jesus,
“Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me,
how often should I forgive?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him,
“Not seven times,
but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king
who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
When he began the reckoning,
one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him,
and, as he could not pay,
the lord ordered him to be sold,
together with his wife and children and all his possessions
and payment to be made.
So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying,
‘Have patience with me,
and I will pay you everything.’
And out of pity for him,
the lord of that slave released him
and forgave him the debt.
But that same slave, as he went out,
came upon one of his fellow slaves
who owed him a hundred denarii, a
nd seizing him by the throat he said, ‘
Pay what you owe.’
Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘
Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’
But he refused; t
hen he went and threw him into prison
until he would pay the debt.
When his fellow slaves saw what had happened,
they were greatly distressed,
and they went and reported to their lord
all that had taken place. 3
hen his lord summoned him and said to him,
‘You wicked slave!
I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave,
as I had mercy on you?’
And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured
until he would pay his entire debt.
So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you,
if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Isaiah 7:10-14
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
“Ask a sign of the Lord your God;
let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
But Ahaz said,
“I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”
Then Isaiah said,
“Hear then, O house of David!
Is it too little for you to weary mortals
that you weary my God also?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child
and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.
Galatians 4:4-7
A readiing from the letter of Paul to the Galatians.
But when the fullness of time had come,
God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law,
in order to redeem those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as children.
And because you are children,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
“Abba! Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a child,
and if a child then also an heir through God.
Luke 2:22-40
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
When the time came for their purification
according to the law of Moses, t
hey brought him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord
(as it is written in the law of the Lord,
“Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”),
and they offered a sacrifice
according to what is stated in the law of the Lord,
“a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; t
his man was righteous and devout,
looking forward to the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not see death
before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple,
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to do for him what was customary under the law,
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
And the child’s father and mother
were amazed at what was being said about him.
Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary,
“This child is destined
for the falling and the rising of many in Israel
and to be a sign that will be opposed 3
so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—
and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”
There was also a prophet, Anna
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was of a great age,
having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.
She never left the temple
but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.
At that moment she came and began to praise God
and to speak about the child
to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything
required by the law of the Lord,
they returned to Gallilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favour of God was upon him.
Jeremiah 15:15-21
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
O Lord, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance do not take me away;
know that on your account I suffer insult.
Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
nor did I rejoice;
under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
for you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail.
Therefore thus says the Lord:
If you turn back, I will take you back,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
you shall serve as my mouth.
It is they who will turn to you,
not you who will turn to them.
And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
says the Lord.
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.
Romans 12:9-21
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Let love be genuine;
hate what is evil;
hold fast to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honour.
Do not lag in zeal;
be ardent in spirit;
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope;
be patient in affliction;
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints;
pursue hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice;
weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;
do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil,
but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave room for the wrath of God,
for it is written,
“Vengeance is mine;
I will repay, says the Lord.”
Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them;
if they are thirsty, give them something to drink,
for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
Matthew 16:21-28
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
From that time on,
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering
at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes
and be killed
and on the third day be raised.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying,
“God forbid it, Lord!
This must never happen to you.”
But he turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling-block to me,
for you are setting your mind not on divine things
but on human things.”
Then Jesus told his disciples,
“If any want to become my followers,
let them deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me.
For those who want to save their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
For what will it profit them
if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?
Or what will they give in return for their life?
“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels
in the glory of his Father,
and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
Truly I tell you,
there are some standing here
who will not taste death
before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
We join the Bishop of Chichester and the Archbishop of Canterbury in offering our prayers for those killed and injured at the Big Church Festival at Steyning.
Isaiah 51:1-6
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah, who bore you,
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
For the Lord will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Listen to me, my people,
and give heed to me, my nation,
for a teaching will go out from me
and my justice for a light to the peoples.
I will bring near my deliverance swiftly;
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they hope.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens
and look at the earth beneath,
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats,[a]
but my salvation will be forever,
and my deliverance will never be ended.
Romans 12:1-8
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,
By the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable act of worship.
Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of the mind,
so that you may discern what is the will of God—
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you
not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think
but to think with sober judgment,
each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
For as in one body we have many members
and not all the members have the same function,
so we, who are many,
are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.
We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us:
prophecy, in proportion to faith;
ministry, in ministering;
the teacher, in teaching;
the encourager, in encouragement;
the giver, in sincerity;
the leader, in diligence;
the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Matthew 16:13-20
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jeus Christ according to Matthew.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist
but others Elijah
and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered,
“You are the Messiah,
the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered him,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you
but my Father in heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Then he sternly ordered the disciples
not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord:
Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come
and my deliverance be revealed.
And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath and do not profane it
and hold fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar,
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel:
I will gather others to them
besides those already gathered.
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
By no means!
I myself am an Israelite,
a descendant of Abraham,
a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Just as you were once disobedient to God
but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
so also they have now been disobedient
in order that, by the mercy shown to you,
they also may now receive mercy.
For God has imprisoned all in disobedience
so that he may be merciful to all.
Matthew 15:10-28
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them,
“Listen and understand:
it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,
but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”
Then the disciples approached and said to him,
“Do you know
that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”
He answered,
“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
Let them alone; t
hey are blind guides of the blind.
And if one blind person guides another,
both will fall into a pit.”
But Peter said to him,
“Explain this parable to us.”
Then he said,
“Are you also still without understanding?
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach
and goes out into the sewer?
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,
and this is what defiles.
For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery,
fornication, theft, false witness, slander.
These are what defile a person,
but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out
and started shouting,
“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David;
my daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not answer her at all.
And his disciples came and urged him, saying,
“Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”
He answered,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But she came and knelt before him,
saying, “Lord, help me.”
He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs
that fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus answered her,
“Woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that moment.
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