The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

May 26, 2024

May 25, 2024 May 27, 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 35:9-30

Cities of Refuge
9The Lord told Moses 10to speak to the Israelites and tell them this:
When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11you are to designate some cities to be cities of refuge for yourselves, so that a person who has killed someone by taking someone's life unintentionally may flee there. 12The cities will serve as a refuge for you from the avenger,[] so that a person who has killed someone will not die until he stands trial before the community. 13The cities which you will set aside will serve as the six cities of refuge for you. 14You are to set aside three cities east of the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan. They will serve as cities of refuge. 15These six cities will serve as a refuge for Israelites, for resident aliens, and for temporary residents living among them so that everyone who has taken someone's life unintentionally may flee there.
16But if a person strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, that person is a murderer. The murderer must certainly be put to death. 17If a person strikes someone with a stone in his hand that could kill someone, and the victim dies, that person is a murderer. The murderer must certainly be put to death. 18Or if a person strikes someone with a wooden object in his hand that could kill someone, and the victim dies, that person is a murderer. The murderer must certainly be put to death. 19The avenger of blood himself will put the murderer to death. When he apprehends him, he is to put him to death. 20If a person pushes someone out of hatred or throws something at him with malicious intent so that he dies, 21or in hostility strikes him with his hand so that he dies, that person who struck him must certainly be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death when he apprehends him.
22But if a person pushes someone suddenly without hostility or throws any object at him without malicious intent, 23or if without looking he drops a stone on someone big enough to kill him and that person dies, since that person was not his enemy, and he did not seek to harm him, 24the community will judge between the killer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. 25The community will deliver the person who has killed someone from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the community will take him back to his city of refuge, to which he had fled. He must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26But if the person who has killed someone ever goes outside of the border of the city of refuge to which he has fled, 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the person who has killed someone, the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed, 28because the person who has killed someone should have stayed in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest he may return to the land that is his possession.
29These things will be a legal statute for you throughout your generations wherever you live.
30Everyone who has taken someone's life is to be put to death as a murderer on the testimony of witnesses, but no one is to die on the testimony of only one witness.

Luke 24:28-53

28As they approached the village where they were going, he acted as if he were going to travel farther. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, since it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them. 30When he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and began giving it to them. 31Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. Then he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us along the road and while he was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33They got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those who were with them assembled together. 34They were saying, “The Lord really has been raised! He has appeared to Simon.” 35They themselves described what had happened along the road, and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
(Mark 16:14-18; John 20:19-23)
36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37But they were terrified and frightened and thought they were looking at a ghost.
38He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41While they still did not believe it (because of their joy), and while they were still wondering, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42They gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb.[] 43He took it and ate in front of them. 44He said to them, “These are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46He said to them, “This is what is written and so it must be:[] The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49Look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Jesus Ascends Into Heaven
(Mark 16:19-20; Acts 1:9-11)
50He led them out as far as the vicinity of Bethany. He lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51And while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven. 52So they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53They were continually in the temple courts, praising and[] blessing God. Amen.[]