Lessons for September 24, 2006 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson

Jeremiah 11:18-20
 
    Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. 19 I had been as unaware as a lamb on the way to its slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! "Let's destroy this man and all his words," they said. "Let's kill him, so his name will be forgotten forever." 20 O Lord Almighty, you are just, and you examine the deepest thoughts of hearts and minds. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.  (NLT)

Psalm 54 

L.  Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. 
C.  O God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my plea.
L.  For strangers are attacking me; violent men are trying to kill me.
C.  They care nothing for God.
L.  But God is my helper. The Lord is the one who keeps me alive! 
C.  May my enemies' plans for evil be turned against them.
L.  Do as you promised and put an end to them.
C.  I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;
L.  I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. 
C.  For you will rescue me from my troubles and help me to triumph over my enemies.  (NLT)

The second lesson

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
 
    If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. 4:1What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. 3 And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8  Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.  (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

Mark 9:30-37
 
    Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus tried to avoid all publicity 31 in order to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead." 32 But they didn't understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. 33 After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing out on the road?" 34 But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, "Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."  36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me."  (NLT)