The Beatitudes

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, November 1 are from the Lectionary Year A All Saints Day: Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Revelation 7:9-17

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

    “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom
     and thanks and honor
     and power and strength
     be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” ¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

    ¹⁵ Therefore, “they are before the throne of God
         and serve him day and night in his temple;
         and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
     ¹⁶ ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
         The sun will not beat down on them,
         ’nor any scorching heat.
    ¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
         ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
     ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ”

Psalm 34:1-10, 22

¹ I will extol the LORD at all times;
     his praise will always be on my lips.

² I will glory in the LORD;
     let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;
     let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
     he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
     their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
     he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
     and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
     for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
     but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

²² The LORD will rescue his servants;
     no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

1 John 3:1-3

¹ See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Matthew 5:1-12

¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them. He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.