The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

May 5, 2024

May 4, 2024 May 6, 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 3:1-16, 39-48

Aaron's Sons and the Duties of the Levites
31This is the family history of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2These are the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These are the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.
4Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
5The Lord spoke to Moses: 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and have them stand before Aaron the priest so that they may assist him. 7They will perform the duties for him and for the entire congregation in front of the Tent of Meeting by doing the work for the Dwelling. 8They will take care of all the furnishings for the Tent of Meeting and perform the duties of the Israelites by doing the work for the Dwelling. 9You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are completely given to him from among the Israelites. 10But you will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will serve in the priesthood. Any unauthorized person who goes near must be put to death.”
The Census of the Levites for Assigning Their Duties
11The Lord spoke to Moses, 12“See, I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites are mine, 13because all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, both human and animal. They are mine. I am the Lord.”
14The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, 15“Register the Levites according to their fathers' houses, by their clans. You are to register every male a month old and up.”
16So Moses registered them as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.
39All of the Levities who were registered when the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to register them according to their clans, every male a month old and up, were 22,000.
Redemption of the Firstborn
40The Lord said to Moses, “Register all the firstborn males of the Israelites one month old and up, and make a list of their names. 41You are to take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—instead of every firstborn among the Israelites, and take the livestock of the Levites instead of every firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.” 42So Moses registered all the firstborn among the Israelites as the Lord commanded. 43All the firstborn males listed by name, one month old and up, when registered, totaled 22,273.
44The Lord spoke to Moses: 45“Take the Levites instead of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites will be mine. I am the Lord. 46For the redemption of the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47you are to collect five shekels apiece for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs).[] 48You are to give the money, the redemption price for the additional Israelites, to Aaron and his sons.”

Luke 14:25-15:10

The Cost
(Matthew 10:37-38)
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and said to them, 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, ‘This fellow began to build, but was not able to finish.’ 31Or what king, as he goes out to confront another king in war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if he is not able, he sends out a delegation and asks for terms of peace while his opponent is still far away. 33So then, any one of you who does not say farewell to all his own possessions cannot be my disciple. 34Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? 35It is not fit for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Lost Sheep
(Matthew 18:12-14)
151All the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3He told them this parable: 4“Which one of you, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls together his friends and his neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
The Lost Coin
8“Or what woman who has ten silver coins,[] if she loses one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”