Lessons for June 24, 2007 – Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The first lesson

Isaiah 65:1-9
 
    The Lord says, "People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me. I am being found by people who were not looking for me. To them I have said, 'I am here!' [2] "I opened my arms to my own people all day long, but they have rebelled. They follow their own evil paths and thoughts. [3] All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on the rooftops of their homes. [4] At night they go out among the graves and secret places to worship evil spirits. They also eat pork and other forbidden foods. [5] Yet they say to each other, 'Don't come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!' They are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away. [6] "Look, my decree is written out in front of me: I will not stand silent; I will repay them in full! Yes, I will repay them— [7] both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors," says the Lord. "For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will pay them back in full! [8] "But I will not destroy them all," says the Lord. "For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, 'Don't throw them all away—there are some good grapes there!'), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there. [9] I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it and serve me there.  (NLT)

Psalm 22:23-29
 
L.  Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
C.  Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
L.  Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! 
C.  For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy.
L.  He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help.
C.  I will praise you among all the people;
L.  I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. 
C.  The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him.
L.  Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. 
C.  The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
L.  People from every nation will bow down before him. 
C.  For the Lord is king! He rules all the nations.
L.  Let the rich of the earth feast and worship.
C.  Let all mortals—those born to die—bow down in his presence.  (NLT)

The second lesson

Galatians 3:23-29 
    Until faith in Christ was shown to us as the way of becoming right with God, we were guarded by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until we could put our faith in the coming Savior. [24] Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came. So now, through faith in Christ, we are made right with God. [25] But now that faith in Christ has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. [26] So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. [27] And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. [28] There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus. [29] And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.
(NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

Luke 8:26-39
 
    So they arrived in the land of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. [27] As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. Homeless and naked, he had lived in a cemetery for a long time. [28] As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell to the ground before him, screaming, "Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don't torture me!" [29] For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was shackled with chains, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon's power.  [30] "What is your name?" Jesus asked. "Legion," he replied—for the man was filled with many demons. [31] The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the Bottomless Pit. [32] A large herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons pleaded with him to let them enter into the pigs. Jesus gave them permission. [33] So the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake, where they drowned.  [34] When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby city and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. [35] A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, for they wanted to see for themselves what had happened. And they saw the man who had been possessed by demons sitting quietly at Jesus' feet, clothed and sane. And the whole crowd was afraid. [36] Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. [37] And all the people in that region begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. [38] The man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too, but Jesus said, [39] "No, go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you." So he went all through the city telling about the great thing Jesus had done for him.  (NLT)