The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

May 6, 2024

May 5, 2024 May 7, 2024

These daily readings from the EHV follow the one-year daily lectionary provided in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, and the Treasury of Daily Prayer. In this lectionary, two readings of 15-25 verses each are provided for each day. Under this plan, nearly all of the New Testament and approximately one-third of the Old Testament are read each year. These readings fit well within the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, or Compline as daily family devotions.

Numbers 8:5-26

The Consecration of the Levites
5The Lord told Moses 6to take the Levites from among the Israelites and to do the following to make them ceremonially clean:
7This is what you are to do to them to make them ceremonially clean: Sprinkle the water of purification[] on them. Have them shave their entire body with a razor, wash their clothes, and purify themselves. 8Then they are to take a young bull from the herd with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil. You are to take another young bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9You are to present the Levites in front of the Tent of Meeting. You are to assemble the entire Israelite community. 10You are to present the Levites before the Lord. The Israelites will place their hands on the Levites. 11Then Aaron will offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering on behalf of the Israelites. They are to do the work of the Lord.
12The Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the young bulls. You then will offer the one young bull as a sin offering and the other young bull as a whole burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13You will have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and you will offer them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14In this way you are to set apart the Levites from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
15After you have purified them and offered them as a wave offering, the Levites will go to work at the Tent of Meeting, 16because only they are given to me as servants from among the Israelites. In place of every firstborn from the womb, the firstborn of every Israelite, I have taken the Levites for myself. 17For all the firstborn among the Israelites are mine, both human and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set the firstborn of the Israelites apart for myself. 18But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites. 19From among the Israelites I have given only the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do the work of the people of Israel at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel so that there will not be any plague among the Israelites when the Israelites approach the sanctuary.
20Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of the people of Israel did for the Levites just as they had been told. The Israelites did for them everything that the Lord commanded Moses in regard to the Levites. 21The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing. Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. 22After that, the Levites went to do their work at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Just as the Lord had commanded Moses about the Levites, that is exactly what they did for them.
23The Lord spoke to Moses: 24“This applies to the Levites: From twenty-five years of age and up, they are to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. 25But when they are fifty years old, they are to retire from the service and no longer work. 26They may assist their brothers at the Tent of Meeting in performing their duties, but they are not to do the work. This is exactly what you are to do in regard to the Levites and their duties.”

Luke 15:11-32

The Lost Son
11Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all that he had and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted his wealth with reckless living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16He would have liked to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, and I am dying from hunger! 18I will get up, go to my father, and tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20He got up and went to his father.
“While he was still far away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, hugged his son, and kissed him. 21The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate, 24because this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.
25“His older son was in the field. As he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. 27The servant told him, ‘Your brother is here! Your father killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28The older brother was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.
29“He answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I've been serving you, and I never disobeyed your command, but you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours arrived after wasting your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
31“The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’”