The Trials and Calling of Moses, 1481-82, Sandro Botticelli, Fresco at the Cappella Sistina, Vatican

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 follow the Revised Common Lectionary as adapted for use in Episcopal worship.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, October 29 --Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Track 1: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 Track 2: Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18; Psalm 1 for both: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 and Matthew 22:34-46. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New Revised Standard Version.

Track 1

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

¹ Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, ² all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, ³ the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. ⁴ The Lord said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, "I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there." ⁵ Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command. ⁶ He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. ⁷ Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. ⁸ The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

⁹ Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. ¹¹ He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, ¹² and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place
     in all generations.

² Before the mountains were brought forth,
     or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
     from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You turn us back to dust, and say,
     "Turn back, you mortals."

⁴ For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past,
     or like a watch in the night.

⁵ You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
     like grass that is renewed in the morning;

⁶ in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
     in the evening it fades and withers.

¹³ Turn, O Lord! How long?
     Have compassion on your servants!

¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
     so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

¹⁵ Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
     and as many years as we have seen evil.

¹⁶ Let your work be manifest to your servants,
     and your glorious power to their children.

¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
     and prosper for us the work of our hands—
     O prosper the work of our hands!

Track 2

Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

² Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

¹⁵ You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. ¹⁶ You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

¹⁷ You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Psalm 1

¹ Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
     or take the path that sinners tread,
     or sit in the seat of scoffers;

² but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
     and on his law they meditate day and night.

³ They are like trees planted by streams of water,
     which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.
     In all that they do, they prosper.

⁴ The wicked are not so,
     but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
     nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

⁶ for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
     but the way of the wicked will perish.

for both

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

¹ You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, ² but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. ³ For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. ⁵ As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; ⁶ nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, ⁷ though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. ⁸ So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Matthew 22:34-46

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵ and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" ³⁷ He said to him, " "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

⁴¹ Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ⁴² "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." ⁴³ He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

    ⁴⁴ "The Lord said to my Lord,
        "Sit at my right hand,
         until I put your enemies under your feet" '?

⁴⁵ If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" ⁴⁶ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.