Year A – Last Pentecost
Full-text of the Appointed Lessons (RSV and NRSV), with instructions for lectors
Last Pentecost – November 22 – RCL
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
Last Pentecost (Proper 29), Year A, Nov. 22, 2026
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
God, through Ezekiel, declares himself shepherd and ruler of his people, gathering them, providing for them, protecting them, guiding them, and judging them. All these things he does for us, his sheep, too.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Thus says the Lord God…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will save my flock, they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
Last Pentecost (Proper 29), Year A, Nov. 22, 2026
Ephesians 1:15-23
The same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead he now uses to bring life to each of our lives.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians:
(Lead in with) RSV: Because I have heard…; NRSV: I have heard of your faith…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
New Revised Standard Version
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
Last Pentecost (Proper 29), Year A, Nov. 22, 2026
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus professes that there are no ways around the simple difficulty of God’s mission, to save those who recognize their need, and to humble those who are disillusioned to their security.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes…”
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc. If read by an ordained person as the eucharistic gospel, conclude with The gospel of the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, `Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, `You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Last Pentecost – November 22 – BCP
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
Last Pentecost (Proper 29), Year A, Nov. 22, 2026
Ezekiel 34:11-17
God, through Ezekiel, declares himself shepherd and ruler of his people, gathering them, providing for them, protecting them, guiding them, and judging them. All these things he does for us, his sheep, too.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Thus says the Lord God…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice. As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats.
New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
Last Pentecost (Proper 29), Year A, Nov. 22, 2026
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
At the end of the age, Jesus will appear, the dead shall be raised, and death will be destroyed forever.
A reading (lesson) from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: In fact Christ has been raised…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. “For God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection under him,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one.
New Revised Standard Version
In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
Last Pentecost (Proper 29), Year A, Nov. 22, 2026
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus professes that there are no ways around the simple difficulty of God’s mission, to save those who recognize their need, and to humble those who are disillusioned to their security.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes…”
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc. If read by an ordained person as the eucharistic gospel, conclude with The gospel of the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, `Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, `You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
The Living Word | Lectionary Preaching Aids
Exploring the Texts
“The prophet’s promise of a return to the land of Israel is, in Christian terms, a foreshadowing of the reign of Christ over all the peoples of the earth. Like Moses, we have work to do. Some work will be great and extraordinary. Some work will be an unknowing ministration to the needs of Christ.”
“Jesus sent and still sends his disciples to feed and tend and protect and encourage and heal. It is urgent and necessary work flowing directly from the ministry and grace of Christ. The church is God’s hidden and mysterious intervention.”
“In the Incarnation, Christ has become one of us, sharing in our common humanity. When we separate ourselves from the needy even while helping them — by looking on them from a position of superiority and condescension, perhaps because what we fear most is becoming like them — we separate ourselves from Christ.”
Preaching Today
Jo Bailey Wells: The Power and Vulnerability of a True King
“The way Jesus exercises power is totally different from any king you’ve ever imagined before. From here on, this is what the exercise of power in Jesus name looks like. No lauding over, no looking down, rather a coming alongside, even a looking up. In God’s kingdom, you will find the king with the least, the last, the lost.”
Sam Keyes: We Proclaim the Kingship of Christ
“And so Christ our Lord is the fulfilment of all these roles: as prophet, he proclaims the truth of God’s kingdom; as priest, he reconciles us to God; as king, he empowers us to live a life of justice and virtue.”
Simon Cuff: What It Means to Be a Leader
“We’ve learned to be polite and to defer to those in positions of authority over us. We think because they have a position of authority they’ll have our best interests at heart. We misunderstand what Christ meant when he said, ‘render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s.’”
Classic Texts
Martin Luther: Tended, Bound Up, Healed
“Among his little flock, God also has those who are weak, wounded, straying, and even lost, whom he nevertheless recognizes as his sheep. He does not want them to be rejected, but rather tended, bound up, healed, and brought back.”
Bernard of Clairvaux: Water and Fire
“Christ sits at God’s right hand, holding mercy in his own right hand, judgment in his left. Exceedingly great is his mercy, and exceedingly great is his judgment; immovably he holds water in his right hand and fire in his left hand.”
Gregory of Nyssa: They Judge in Silence
“The poor [are] the stewards of our hope, the guardians of royalty, who open the door to the just and close it again to the wicked and egotistical. Terrible accusers, vehement prosecutors, although they always judge in silence!”
Articles on the Shepherd
Neil Dhingra: A Terrible Light
“The rebirth is to a strange, hidden, and often misunderstood life that takes cruciform shape. But this is where Jesus is, the ‘one flock’ with ‘one shepherd’ (10:16), a gathering that has been brought together by Jesus’ death, and this is where glory can be anticipated.”
Chip Prehn: A Good Shepherd
“Terwilliger made the Christian faith exciting. He showed us again and again that the priestly calling is honorable. He was my own dear father in God. This good and true shepherd’s interest in and care for all of us who became his ‘sons’ was surely a sign to us that the Good Shepherd had plans for us and was counting on us to be his disciples.”
Mary Foulger: Hearing God Speak
“Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep, and he says, ‘my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me’ (John 10:27). While some Christians think that they don’t hear when God speaks, I respectfully disagree. If you are following Jesus, then you have heard him calling you. Keep listening, because he has more to say to you.”
Articles on Generosity
David Munson, Jr.: The Holy Spirit and Giving
“It’s such a humbling experience to watch our gifts, from God’s bounty, travel up row by row and be blessed by the priest at the altar. I always wonder how many others know this experience, and how many deprive themselves of it. I wonder whether we are truly letting the Holy Spirit in.”
Neal Michell: Giving and Outreach in the Smaller Church
“What do you do about outreach when you are in a small church with limited resources? Outreach is often an unmined treasure for the smaller church. I learned this in a church I served several years ago.”
Thomas Kincaid: John Chrysostom and the Virtue of Giving
“Parish giving programs create a hotbed of energy that ought to be directed toward the formation of Christian disciples. When congregational leaders talk about money, people listen. And the moment folks are listening is the moment to make sure they are growing as disciples.”
Articles on Caring for the Stranger
Cole Hartin: Feeding God Together: An Ecumenism of Mercy
“I cannot share the Eucharist with my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters; together we can’t be nourished side-by-side with the body and blood of our Lord. However, side-by-side we can nourish Christ, in “the least of these.” We cannot together touch the blood of our Lord to our lips, but we can place a warm cup of tea into the hands of those to whom Christ is especially close, the poor.”
Bryan Owen: Rescuing the Poor Widow
“We live in a world filled with poverty, abuse, oppression, and exploitation. And we live in a world in which our Christian faith sometimes gets used to do the very things to others that break our Lord’s heart. And yet, we know that the very same faith that can be twisted and manipulated to pilfer poor widows can also be used to feed the hungry, build houses for the homeless, care for the sick, befriend the lonely, and extend a hand of fellowship to those the world writes off as worthless.”
Bryan Owen: God or Wealth?
“Jesus’ teaching on money and possessions may sound a dissonant and countercultural note. But it’s a note we need to hear. For the deeper truth of biblical teaching is this: having money and possessions is not in itself sinful; but money and possessions can be dangerous distractions from following Jesus as Lord and Savior.”
