Lessons for October 8, 2006 – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson

Genesis 2:18-24
 
    And the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him." 19 So the Lord God formed from the soil every kind of animal and bird. He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals. But still there was no companion suitable for him. 21 So the Lord God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam's ribs and closed up the place from which he had taken it. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam. 
23 "At last!" Adam exclaimed. "She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of a man." 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.  (NLT)

Psalm 8

L.  O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!
C.  Your glory is higher than the heavens.
L.  You have taught children and nursing infants to give you praise.
C.  They silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.
L.  When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
C.  the moon and the stars you have set in place—
L.  what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? 
C.  For you made us only a little lower than God, and you crowned us with glory and honor.
L.  You put us in charge of everything you made, giving us authority over all things— 
C.  the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
L.  and everything that swims the ocean currents.
C.  O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!  (NLT)
 
The second lesson

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
 
    Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. 3 The Son reflects God's own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. 4This shows that God's Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names. 
    And furthermore, the future world we are talking about will not be controlled by angels. 6 For somewhere in the Scriptures it says,

    "What is man that you should think of him,
        and the son of man that you should care for him? 
     7 For a little while you made him lower than the angels,
        and you crowned him with glory and honor. 
     8 You gave him authority over all things."

Now when it says "all things," it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all of this happen. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who "for a little while was made lower than the angels" and now is "crowned with glory and honor" because he suffered death for us. Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone in all the world. 10 And it was only right that God—who made everything and for whom everything was made—should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation. 11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God, "I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among all your people."  (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

Mark 10:2-16
 
    Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: "Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?" 3 "What did Moses say about divorce?" Jesus asked them. 
4 "Well, he permitted it," they replied. "He said a man merely has to write his wife an official letter of divorce and send her away." 5 But Jesus responded, "He wrote those instructions only as a concession to your hard-hearted wickedness. 6 But God's plan was seen from the beginning of creation, for 'He made them male and female.' 7 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, 8 and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, 9 let no one separate them, for God has joined them together." 10 Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. 11 He told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and remarries, she commits adultery." 13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch them and bless them, but the disciples told them not to bother him. 14 But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very displeased with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God." 16 Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.  (NLT)