The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

September 8, 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.

2 Kings 5:9-27

9So Na'aman went with his horses and chariots and stopped in front of the door of Elisha's house. 10But Elisha sent a messenger out to him to say, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan. Then your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.”
11But Na'aman was angry and he left, saying, “Look, I said to myself, ‘He will certainly come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over the place, and I will be cured of the leprosy!’ 12Aren't the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a burning rage.
13But his servants approached and spoke to him. They said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not do it? How much more when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
14So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a small child, and he was clean. 15Then he and his whole escort went back to the man of God. He stood in front of Elisha and said, “To be sure, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now accept a gift from your servant.”
16But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives, in whose presence I stand, I will not take anything.” Even though Na'aman urged him to accept something, he refused.
17Then Na'aman said, “If you do not want anything, please give me, your servant, as much dirt as two donkeys can carry, for your servant will never again burn incense or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord. 18But may the Lord forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there and he supports himself on my arm, then I too have to bow down in the house of Rimmon. When I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant this one thing.”
19Then Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.”
Gehazi's Sin
When Na'aman had gone some distance from him, 20Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “My master was too easy on this Aramean, Na'aman, when he did not accept anything that he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21So Gehazi chased after Na'aman. When Na'aman saw him running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him. He said, “Is everything all right?”
22Then Gehazi said, “Yes, everything is all right. My master sent me to say, ‘Look, just now two young men from the hill country of Ephraim, from the sons of the prophets, have come to me. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
23Na'aman said, “Certainly! Take two talents!”[] He urged Gehazi and tied up the two talents of silver in two bags with the two sets of clothing. Then Na'aman gave them to his two servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24When he came to the hill, he took the gifts from them. Then he hid them in the house and sent the men back, so they left. 25Then he went in and attended his master.
Elisha said to him, “Where were you, Gehazi?”
Gehazi said, “Your servant didn't go anywhere.”
26Then Elisha said to him, “Didn't my heart go along when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take silver, or to accept clothes or olive groves or vineyards or sheep or cattle or male and female servants? 27Na'aman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went out from his presence, leprous like snow.

Philippians 1:1-20

Greeting
11Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul's Prayer for the Philippians
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4Every time I pray for all of you, I always pray with joy, 5because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. 6I am convinced of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7I am equally convinced that it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, for both in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all share in this grace with me. 8Yes, God is my witness of how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And I pray that your love may still increase more and more in knowledge and every insight. 10This will result in your approval of the things that really matter, so that you will be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Christ Is Proclaimed
12I want you to know, brothers,[] that the things which happened to me actually took place to advance the gospel. 13And so it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to all the rest, that I am in chains because of Christ.[] 14And, through my chains, the majority of the brothers in the Lord have become much more confident about daring to speak the word of God[] fearlessly. 15Some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, and others out of good will. 16The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking they can cause trouble for me while I am in chains. 18What does it matter? Only this, that in every way, whether for outward appearance or for the truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ, to Die Is Gain
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19because I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20This matches my earnest expectation and hope that I will in no way be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, so even now, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.