Daily Lectionary

November 14, 2023

November 13, 2023 November 15, 2023

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.

Jeremiah 29:1-19

A Letter to the Exiles

29¹This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remnant of the elders in exile, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²(This was after Jeconiah,^[] the queen mother, the secretaries, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalworkers had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) ³The letter was delivered by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemaraiah son of Hilkiah when Zedekiah king of Judah sent them to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The letter said:

⁴The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says this to all the exiles whom I have deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.

⁵Build houses and settle in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. ⁶Get married 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, and do not decrease in number. ⁷Seek the peace of the city where I have exiled you. Pray to the Lord for that city, because when it has peace and prosperity, you will have peace and prosperity.

⁸The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says this. Do not let the prophets and fortune tellers who are among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams they dream for you. ⁹For they prophesy falsely in my name, but I did not send them, declares the Lord.

¹⁰This is what the Lord says. After seventy years have passed in Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious word to bring you back to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²Then you will call on me and come to pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³When you seek me, you will find me, when you will seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will let you find me, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back from your exile. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have sent you as exiles, declares the Lord. I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

¹⁵Because you say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” ¹⁶this is what the Lord says concerning the king who sits on David's throne and concerning all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who were not carried away into exile with you. ¹⁷Yes, this is what the Lord says. Watch, I am going to send sword, famine, and plague against them, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. ¹⁸I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague, and I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse, a terror, a thing to be hissed at, and a disgrace among all the nations where I have driven them, ¹⁹because they have not obeyed my words, declares the Lord, words I sent them again and again through my servants the prophets. And you have not listened, either, declares the Lord.

Matthew 26:36-56

Gethsemane

(Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)

³⁶Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and distressed. ³⁸Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death. Stay here, and keep watch with me.”

³⁹He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed. He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me for one hour? ⁴¹Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴²He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to pass from me^[] unless I drink it, may your will be done.” ⁴³Again he returned and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time. He said the same words as before. ⁴⁵Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Rise. Let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

(Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-54; John 18:1-14)

⁴⁷While Jesus was still speaking, suddenly Judas (one of the Twelve) arrived. With him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had given them a sign: “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him.” ⁴⁹Immediately he went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?”

Then they advanced, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. ⁵¹Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, because all who take the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Do you not realize that I could call on my Father, and at once he would provide me with more than twelve legions^[] of angels? ⁵⁴But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵At that same time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out to arrest me with swords and clubs as if I were a robber? Day after day I was sitting in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.