Joseph receiving his Father and brothers in Eqypt, Jan de Bray, 1655, chalk and wash in a Private Collection

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder Jackie Rose was to have a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are still online here. The group disbanded but the readings below are being kept up to date.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, August 16 are from the Lectionary Year A Proper 15: Track 1: Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133 or Track 2: Isaiah 56:1,6-8; Psalm 67 and for both: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 and Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Track 1:

Genesis 45:1-15

¹ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. ³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. ⁹ Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. ¹⁰ You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’ ¹² “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. ¹³ Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.” ¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

Psalm 133

¹ How good and pleasant it is
     when God’s people live together in unity!

² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
     running down on the beard,

running down on Aaron’s beard,
     down on the collar of his robe.

³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
     were falling on Mount Zion.

For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
     even life forevermore.

or Track 2:

Isaiah 56:1,6-8

¹ This is what the LORD says:
     “Maintain justice and do what is right,

for my salvation is close at hand
     and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

⁶ And foreigners who bind 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 without desecrating it
     and who hold fast to my covenant—

⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain
     and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
     will be accepted on my altar;

for my house will be called a house of prayer
     for all nations.”

⁸ The Sovereign LORD declares—
     he who gathers the exiles of Israel:

“I will gather still others to them
     besides those already gathered.”

Psalm 67

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us
     and make his face shine on us—

² so that your ways may be known on earth,
     your salvation among all nations.

³ May the peoples praise you, God;
     may all the peoples praise you.

⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
     for you rule the peoples with equity
     and guide the nations of the earth.

⁵ May the peoples praise you, God;
     may all the peoples praise you.

⁶ The land yields its harvest;
     God, our God, blesses us.

⁷ May God bless us still,
     so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

and for both:

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

¹ I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.

²⁹ for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. ³⁰ Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. ³² For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

(¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” ¹² Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” ¹³ He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶ “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”)

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” ²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” ²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. ²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” ²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.