The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, 1853, oil on canvas at the side chapel at Keble College, Oxford

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, July 26 are from the Lectionary Year A Proper 12: Track 1: Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128; Track 2: 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136 and for both: Romans 8:26-39 and Matthew 13:31-33,44-52. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Track 1:

Genesis 29:15-28

¹⁵ Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” ¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. ¹⁸ Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” ¹⁹ Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.” ²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ²³ But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. ²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?” ²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. ²⁷ Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.” ²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

Psalm 105:1-11, 45b

¹ Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
     make known among the nations what he has done.

² Sing to him, sing praise to him;
     tell of all his wonderful acts.

³ Glory in his holy name;
     let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

⁴ Look to the LORD and his strength;
     seek his face always.

⁵ Remember the wonders he has done,
     his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

⁶ you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
     his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

⁷ He is the LORD our God;
     his judgments are in all the earth.

⁸ He remembers his covenant forever,
     the promise he made, for a thousand generations,

⁹ the covenant he made with Abraham,
     the oath he swore to Isaac.

¹⁰ He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
     to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

¹¹ “To you I will give the land of Canaan
     as the portion you will inherit.”

^45b Praise the LORD.

or Psalm 128

¹ Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
     who walk in obedience to him.

² You will eat the fruit of your labor;
     blessings and prosperity will be yours.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
     your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing
     for the man who fears the LORD.

⁵ May the LORD bless you from Zion;
     may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

⁶ May you live to see your children’s children—
     peace be on Israel.

or Track 2:

1 Kings 3:5-12

⁵ At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” ⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ⁷ “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

Psalm 119:129-136

¹²⁹ Your statutes are wonderful;
     therefore I obey them.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
     it gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant,
     longing for your commands.

¹³² Turn to me and have mercy on me,
     as you always do to those who love your name.

¹³³ Direct my footsteps according to your word;
     let no sin rule over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from human oppression,
     that I may obey your precepts.

¹³⁵ Make your face shine on your servant
     and teach me your decrees.

¹³⁶ Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
     for your law is not obeyed.

and for both:

Romans 8:26-39

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

    “For your sake we face death all day long;
         we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

³¹ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

³³ He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. ⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.