Author: THERESA JACOBSON

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost	October 6, 2024
Prayer of the Day
Generously pardon and give peace to your faithful people, O Lord, that being cleansed from every sin, we may be free and glad to serve; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Genesis 2:18-25
^18The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” ^19Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ^20The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. ^21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ^22And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ^23Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ^24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ^25And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Psalm 128 (LBW)
^1Happy are they all who | fear the Lord,*
	and who follow | in his ways!
^2You shall eat the fruit | of your labor;*
	happiness and prosperity | shall be yours.
^3Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine with- | in your house,*
	your children like olive shoots round | about your table.
^4The man who | fears the Lord *
	shall thus in- | deed be blessed.
^5The Lord bless | you from Zion,*
	and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days | of your life.
^6May you live to see your | children’s children;*
	may peace be | upon Israel.
Psalm 128 (ESV)
^1Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!
^2You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
^3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
^4Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
^5The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!
^6May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!

Second Reading: Hebrews 2:1-13 [14-18]
^1Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ^2For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ^3how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, ^4while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. ^5For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. ^6It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? ^7You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, ^8putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ^9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. ^10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. ^11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, ^12saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” ^13And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” [^14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ^15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ^16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. ^17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ^18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.]
Gospel: Mark 10:2-16
^2Pharisees came up and in order to test {Jesus} asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ^3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ^4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ^5And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ^6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ^7’Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ^8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^9What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ^10And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ^11And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ^12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” ^13And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ^14But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ^15Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ^16And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Next Week’s Readings:
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Psalm 90:12-17; Hebrews 3:12-19; Mark 10:17-22