The Last Judgment by Fra Angelico, c. 1431, Tempera on panel, at the Museo di San Marco, Florence

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, February 17 are from Lectionary Year C, Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 and Luke 6:17-26. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Jeremiah 17:5-10

⁵ This is what the LORD says:

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
     who draws strength from mere flesh
     and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

⁶ That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
     they will not see prosperity when it comes.

They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
     in a salt land where no one lives.

⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
     whose confidence is in him.

⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
     that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;
     its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought
     and never fails to bear fruit.”

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things
     and beyond cure.
     Who can understand it?

¹⁰ “I the LORD search the heart
     and examine the mind,

to reward each person according to their conduct,
     according to what their deeds deserve.”

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
     or stand in the way that sinners take
     or sit in the company of mockers,

² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
     and who meditates on his law day and night.

³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
     which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—
     whatever they do prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
     They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
     nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
     but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Luke 6:17-26

¹⁷ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, ¹⁹ and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

    “Blessed are you who are poor,
         for yours is the kingdom of God.

   ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
         for you will be satisfied.

     Blessed are you who weep now,
         for you will laugh.

   ²² Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. ²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

   ²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
          for you have already received your comfort.

    ²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
          for you will go hungry.

     Woe to you who laugh now,
          for you will mourn and weep.

   ²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.