Elisha Refusing Gifts from Naaman, by Pieter de Grebber, c. 1630, oil on canvas from 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, October 13 are from Lectionary Year C, Proper 23: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-11 or 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2:8-15 and Luke 17:11-19. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

¹ This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ⁴ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

⁵ “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Psalm 66:1-11

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
     ² Sing the glory of his name;
      make his praise glorious.

³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
     So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
     they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”

⁵ Come and see what God has done,
     his awesome deeds for mankind!

⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
     they passed through the waters on foot—
     come, let us rejoice in him.

⁷ He rules forever by his power,
     his eyes watch the nations—
     let not the rebellious rise up against him.

⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,
     let the sound of his praise be heard;

⁹ he has preserved our lives
     and kept our feet from slipping.

¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;
     you refined us like silver.

¹¹ You brought us into prison
     and laid burdens on our backs.

¹² You let people ride over our heads;
     we went through fire and water,
     but you brought us to a place of abundance.

or 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

¹ Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. ² Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” ¹¹ But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. ¹³ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

¹⁵ Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel."

Psalm 111

¹ Praise the LORD.
     I will extol the LORD with all my heart
     in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

² Great are the works of the LORD;
     they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
     and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
     the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

⁵ He provides food for those who fear him;
     he remembers his covenant forever.

⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,
     giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just;
     all his precepts are trustworthy.

⁸ They are established for ever and ever,
     enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹ He provided redemption for his people;
     he ordained his covenant forever—
     holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
     all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
     To him belongs eternal praise.

2 Timothy 2:8-15

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. ¹¹ Here is a trustworthy saying:

        If we died with him, we will also live with him;
     ¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him.
        If we disown him, he will also disown us;
     ¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
        for he cannot disown himself.

¹⁴ Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Luke 17:11-19

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.