Invocation
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Prayer
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
Readings
1 Now the famine was severe in the land.
2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.
9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.
14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.
18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”
19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,
20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food.
21 And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us,
22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,
25 they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.
27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. (ESV)
New Testament: Mark 12:13-27
13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.
14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”
15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,
19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring.
21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.
22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died.
23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”
24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?
25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” (ESV)
Meditation
We often try to pay our own way before God, bringing 'double money' in our hands as if to buy His favor. But God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. He requires no payment from us, for Christ has rendered unto God the perfect obedience we could not. We live because He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and His promise is surer than death.
Prayers
Prayer of the Day
Lord Jesus, this sacred season brings to our remembrance how You assumed our flesh and blood. Weighed down by the burden of our guilt, You brought us freedom from sin. Grant us grace constantly to seek the rich treasures of Your grace and lay hold on You by faith. Amen.
Closing Prayer
O God, who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his way and live, graciously accept the repentance of Your people, and grant them Your forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.