Year A – Proper 11
Full-text of the Appointed Lessons (RSV and NRSV), with instructions for lectors
July 19 – 8 Pentecost – RCL
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Genesis 28:10-19a
On a journey, Jacob dreams of angels on a ladder between heaven and earth. In Jacob’s vision, God promises to make a great nation of him and to be with him always.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of Genesis:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Jacob left Beersheba…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it.” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel.
New Revised Standard Version
Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.
ILLUMINATION for the First Alternate First Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Wisdom 12:13, 16-19
Through the care of his people, and by allowing for their repentance, God demonstrates his power balanced with loving-kindness.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of Wisdom:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: There is no god besides…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
There is no god besides thee, whose care is for all men, to whom thou shouldst prove that thou hast not judged unjustly; for thy strength is the source of righteousness, and thy sovereignty over all causes thee to spare all. For thou dost show thy strength when men doubt the completeness of thy power, and dost rebuke any insolence among those who know it. Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness, and with great forbearance thou dost govern us; for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose. Through such works thou has taught thy people that the righteous man must be kind, and thou hast filled thy sons with good hope, because thou givest repentance for sins.
New Revised Standard Version
There is no god besides you, whose care is for all people, to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly; for your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all. For you show your strength when people doubt the completeness of your power, and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it. Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose. Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind, and you have filled your children with good hope, because you give repentance for sins.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Alternate First Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Isaiah 44:6-8
As the Lord has promised, he will pour out his blessings on his chosen people and his Spirit will sustain those who have been faithful.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Thus says the Lord…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it, let him declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.”
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Romans 8:12-25
Paul declares that those who have chosen to follow Jesus can live in joyful hope because they are sons and daughters adopted by God.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Romans:
(Lead in with) RSV: So then brethren…; NRSV: Brothers and sisters…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
New Revised Standard Version
Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh– for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Jesus teaches that the righteous God will sort the wheat from the chaff and that we often do not know the difference.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV: Another parable Jesus put…; NRSV: Jesus put before the crowd…
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
Another parable Jesus put before the crowds, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus put before the crowd another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
July 19 – 8 Pentecost – BCP
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Wisdom 12:13, 16-19
Through the care of his people, and by allowing for their repentance, God demonstrates his power balanced with loving-kindness.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of Wisdom:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: There is no god besides…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
There is no god besides thee, whose care is for all men, to whom thou shouldst prove that thou hast not judged unjustly; for thy strength is the source of righteousness, and thy sovereignty over all causes thee to spare all. For thou dost show thy strength when men doubt the completeness of thy power, and dost rebuke any insolence among those who know it. Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness, and with great forbearance thou dost govern us; for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose. Through such works thou has taught thy people that the righteous man must be kind, and thou hast filled thy sons with good hope, because thou givest repentance for sins.
New Revised Standard Version
There is no god besides you, whose care is for all people, to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly; for your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all. For you show your strength when people doubt the completeness of your power, and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it. Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose. Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind, and you have filled your children with good hope, because you give repentance for sins.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Romans 8:18-25
Paul declares that those who have chosen to follow Jesus can live in joyful hope because they are sons and daughters adopted by God.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Romans:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: I consider that the sufferings…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
New Revised Standard Version
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
8 Pentecost (Proper 11), Year A, July 19, 2026
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Jesus teaches that the righteous God will sort the wheat from the chaff and that we often do not know the difference.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV: Another parable Jesus put…; NRSV: Jesus put before the crowd…
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
Another parable Jesus put before the crowds, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus put before the crowd another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
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
“We are mortal. We are broken. We live in moral collapse. Death is waiting. All of this is said with a clear eye toward the one faithful God, who knows us, loves us, forgives us, frees us, watches over our going out and coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
“God is there at Bethel, and God sees. For God is the Almighty ‘unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid’ (1979 BCP, p. 323).”
“In our world the treasures of the kingdom of God are often overlooked. Real sanctity may be found, but it rarely makes headlines. As we suffer with Jesus so that we may be glorified with him, much of that suffering takes place in isolation — internally, individually, visible only to a select few, if they have the spiritual eyes to see it.”
Preaching Today
Jane Patterson: The Moment We Stop
“In the human realm, what’s good and what’s bad are more similar than we like to think. We don’t know wheat from darnel. The story’s power hinges on our ignorance, on what we do not know about others, and the mistakes we can make when we think we do know.”
Leigh Spruill: Despair Is Presumptuous
“There is suffering now. There is grief now. There is fear, anger, and despair now. And there is in store for us … something promised if not yet seen. Whatever is happening or not happening in the world for you right now, it does not compare to what has happened already in Christ and what will happen in days to come because of that.”
Russ Levenson: Hard Answers to Easy Questions
“There is a way to disarm that evil, but it is not to return evil for evil. If you are like me, you wish there was an easy answer to all the darkness in the world. But there is not. The answer is to forgive, to love, to pray.”
Classic Texts
Edward King: The Real Union
“He saw the ladder set up from earth to heaven, and angels ascending and descending, as evidence of the reality of the communion between himself and God; we know the real union between man and God through him, who is both God and man.”
Martin Luther: Childlike Trust
“Paul means to say, you have been freed from fear and have received the Spirit of adoption by which you trust in God. This trust he shows very clearly by the words, ‘by which we cry Abba Father.’ This is the cry of the heart which is full of childlike trust and knows not fear.”
William Law: Life and Spirit and Joy
“When you read in the Scriptures, you see a religion that is all life and spirit and joy in God, that supposes our souls risen from earthly desires and bodily indulgences to prepare for another body, another world, and other enjoyments. You see Christians represented as temples of the Holy Ghost, as children of the day.”
Articles on the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew Kemp: The End of the World as We Know It
“This also shows us that the opposite is true, that there are things we do now which will have value for eternity. Everything good that we do, every work we accomplish for the kingdom of God, will be accepted by God as part of the new creation.”
Joey Royal: On Being Other-Worldly
“There simply is no stability in this world, as St. John and St. Augustine remind us. That means what we’ve seen in recent months—the ground shifting under our feet, people being born and dying, old certainties vanishing like smoke—is a revelation of the deepest spiritual truth about the world, about our lives as creatures utterly dependent on our Creator.”
Hannah Bowman: The Four Last Things – Heaven
“But what if heaven is not primarily a place of peace, but instead a community, created by communal participation in the divine life? Such a conception of heaven allows us to begin to imagine it as a place of communal accountability — a place where all can be welcome only because all are responsible to one another: a place of justice.”
Articles on the House of the Lord
Elisabeth Kincaid: Standing at the Doors of the House of the Lord
“Like those entering the temple and closing their ears to Jeremiah’s indictment, his crude use of the visible signs of the Christian faith encouraged those who prefer to say, ‘This is the house of the Lord’ rather than listen to what the Lord actually says.”
Calvin Lane: A House for the Body
“Because there is so much physicality involved in Christian practice, we consecrate — set aside through prayer and blessing — spaces for these unique activities. This approach to sacred space is grounded in God’s robust affirmation of creation as good, God’s joining with creation in the Incarnation, and God’s raising it again at the Resurrection.”
Matthew Alderman: The Shackles of the Present
“Roman Catholic liturgical renovator Richard S. Vosko comments that the church building ‘is not, per se, the place where God dwells. Rather, it is a meeting house where the community engages with God and one another.’ As a young Roman Catholic, it pains me to watch Anglicans adopt the buzzwords that made my childhood Masses so stale and colorless.”
Articles on Dreams and Images
Daniel Martins: The Changes and Chances of This Life
“I think I’ve come to this much of a conclusion, however, and it’s that providence is a medium of grace, and that God’s grace is ubiquitous and indefatigable. I am continually amazed at how God’s ongoing project of the redemption of the world finds a way to triumph in situations that look hopeless.”
Joey Royal: Dreaming Dreams and Seeing Visions
“There are many other dreams in Scripture, and many more visions still. If we think of revelatory dreams and visions as similar experiences (both involving divine messages being seen and heard), then it would seem that God communicates often in this fashion. Not always, and not normatively, but often.”
Mac Stewart: The Second Commandment — Imagination and Contemplation
“That’s what images are for: to show us the world as it really is. It’s a fairly good criterion, I think, for determining how we might use our modern media wisely: to ask whether our use of it enhances or diminishes our perception of the world as it really is in Christ; not a world, that is, that’s ultimately vain and threatening and competitive and hopeless, but a world that is broken, yes, but also on its way towards salvation, unerringly guided there by the one who made it.”
