Year A – Proper 15
Full-text of the Appointed Lessons (RSV and NRSV), with instructions for lectors
August 16 – 12 Pentecost – RCL
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August. 16, 2026
Genesis 45:1-15
Years after his brothers sold him into slavery, Joseph ranks high in Pharoah’s court. He is reconciled to his brothers when they travel to Egypt in a time of famine.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of Genesis:
(Lead in with) RSV: Joseph could not control…; NRSV: Joseph could no longer…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, “Make every one go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Make haste and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry; you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have; and there I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.’ And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Make haste and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
New Revised Standard Version
Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, `Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there– since there are five more years of famine to come– so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
ILLUMINATION for the Alternate First Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August. 16, 2026
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
God promises that deliverance is coming soon to his people, so they are to be faithful, do justice, and welcome all who are being drawn to the Lord.
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: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”
New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August. 16, 2026
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Paul expresses his hope that Israel will come to accept Jesus as the Messiah, just as Gentile believers have embraced the New Covenant.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Romans:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: I ask, then, has God rejected…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy. For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
New Revised Standard Version
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August. 16, 2026
Matthew 15: (10-20 optional) 21-28
Jesus declines to help a Gentile woman who pleads with him to heal her daughter. When she persists, the strength of her faith inspires Jesus to give her what she asks.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV: (vs. 10), Jesus called the people…; (vs. 21), Jesus withdrew…; NRSV: (vs. 10), Jesus called the crowds…; (vs. 21), Jesus left…
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 called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and so passes on? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”] Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
New Revised Standard Version
[Jesus called the crowds to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”] Jesus left Gennesaret and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
August 16 – 12 Pentecost – BCP
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August 16, 2026
Isaiah 56:1(2-5 optional), 6-7
God promises that deliverance is coming soon to his people, so they are to be faithful, do justice, and welcome all who are being drawn to the Lord.
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: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. [Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says the LORD: “To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off.] And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
New Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. [Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil. Do not let the foreigner joined to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunuch say, “I am just a dry tree.” For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.] And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August 16, 2026
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Paul expresses his hope that Israel will come to accept Jesus as the Messiah, just as Gentile believers have embraced the New Covenant.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Romans:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Now I am speaking…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy. For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
New Revised Standard Version
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry in order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
12 Pentecost (Proper 15), Year A, August 16, 2026
Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus declines to help a Gentile woman who pleads with him to heal her daughter. When she persists, the strength of her faith inspires Jesus to give her what she asks.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV: Jesus withdrew…; NRSV: Jesus left Gennesaret…
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 withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus left Gennesaret and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
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
“‘And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him’ (Gen. 45:14). Jesus is doing this for us also, coming to us, embracing us, baptizing us in the tears of his loving-kindness, and talking to us as his friends. Reaching all and loving all, Jesus creates catholic unity.”
“Joseph loved his brothers, although they had betrayed him, sold him into slavery, and considered him as dead. Loving his brothers, he loved his enemies. His love was like Jesus’ love at Gethsemane, the cross, the grave, the resurrection.”
“Because this is a parenting metaphor, not a question of the woman’s status as a human being, her response makes sense: the pets are part of the family, too, even if in a secondary way. She does not quibble with Jesus’ decision to keep closely to his priorities. But she recognizes … that because of who Jesus is, this is not a question of limited resources.”
Preaching Today
A.K.M. Adam: All Together Now
“God begs us not to tear apart the variegated tapestry of salvation by claiming spiritual superiority to other people of God; God begs us not to scorn and insult our long-standing enemies, but in all things to work for reconciliation and inclusion, for harmony and peace, for cooperation and togetherness.”
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson: Win-Win Situation
“We are all equal, in this specific sense: whether we appear to be good or bad, religious or unreligious, spiritual or unspiritual, in fact, before God, we are all sinners and all disobedient. None of us has any hope in ourselves. But all of us have hope in God — even if we don’t know about it.”
Joey Royal: Called to the Truth About Ourselves
“So we need to treat ourselves as recipients of God’s mercy, but we also need to treat other people as recipients of God’s mercy. Just as we don’t know how loved we are, we also don’t know how loved others are.”
Classic Texts
Charles Simeon: Spirit of Adoption
“In former times he often testified his acceptance of the sacrifices by sending fire from heaven, to consume them upon the altar. Now he will do the same, as it were, in a more secret way: he will send his Spirit into the soul as a Spirit of adoption, he will ‘shed abroad his love there,’ and will fill it with an abundance of grace and peace.”
John Mason Neale: If Joseph Is There
“Again and again, Egypt is the broken reed which not only fails but wounds; it is the perpetual antagonist of God’s Israel. Then why, in this one story, does it so clearly and unmistakably stand out as the type of heaven? … Egypt shall cease, as it were, to be Egypt, if Joseph is there.”
Cyril of Alexandria: Equally in Need of Help
“The faults of both are equal, since they were equally in need of help from someone who would take pity on them. Paul says that God shut them all up together in unbelief in order to have mercy on them all.”
Articles on Weeping
Steve Rice: Fistfuls of Tears, Fistfuls of Joy
“That liturgical discipline makes a significant statement to everyone gathered at the Eucharist. Our sufferings, tears, and sorrows are properly directed to the altar and not to Twitter, not to the bottle, and to not to bitterness. Only the altar can bring us in contact with the substance of hope.”
Joseph Mangina: Bright Sadness
“We are anything but naturally disposed to repent of our sins. Repentance is a gift that must be prayed for. Consider this prayer from the Orthodox service book known as The Lenten Triodion: ‘I have no tears, no repentance, no compunction; but as God, do you yourself, O Savior, bestow them on me.’”
Clint Wilson: Forgiveness and Guilt in a Cancel Culture World
“As you engage the story, you hear the naming of the violation, the fear of retribution, the kiss exchanged, and the tears shed upon brothers’ shoulders. Perhaps this reminds you of an encounter within your own family. I believe it was Archbishop Justin Welby who once said, ‘To forgive is to have a just claim and abandon it in the name of love.’ Joseph practiced this.”
Articles on Israel and the Nations
Amber Noel: A Good Day
“How do you make every kingdom on earth God’s kingdom—or reveal it as God’s all along? … One of the first requirements is that God’s people, his children, can’t all be dead. Survival is good. This is what the Book of Esther—the whole Old Testament—knows. Survival is not the final good (see: Resurrection), but it is a primary good. Life—mortal life, natural human life—is a prerequisite to eternal life.”
Micah Latimer-Denis: On God and Altar Rails
“By saying [the Prayer of Humble Access], those of us who are Gentiles become like the Syrophoenician woman. We admit we are dogs, unworthy as Gentiles and those who chronically forget God’s promises to the Jews to sit at God’s table, and yet we go on to ask for God’s food all the same, trusting that our host is merciful.”
Daniel Muth: The Church’s Elder Brother
“Like Jonah and his namesake, we stand at the quay in Joppa, but we face the other direction and look toward a Jewish Jerusalem. We bear both the joy of the New Covenant cut with the Messiah’s blood and an unavoidable connection to that murderously decadent empire that persecutes the Jews.”
Articles on Blessing
Elisabeth Kincaid: The Way of Love: Bless
“In grounding our ability to bless in the work of the Holy Spirit, the Way of Love curriculum appropriately reminds us that this work of blessing others is not made possible through our own strength, but is in itself a gift of God. Like Abraham, the blessing we receive from God should be a blessing for the whole world (Gen. 12:2-3).”
Linda Buskirk: Blessing All the Neighborhood
“On Rogation Days, instead of praying for the work inside the church, Holy Trinity processes down sidewalks, stopping to pray for people who work in the neighborhood. Mother Terri explains the church asked store owners in advance for permission to come on their property and pray. She then wrote special prayers for each place.”
Jonathan Mitchican: What Does It Mean to Bless?
“Blessings are about returning to original goodness. Regardless of what we bless, that is always the underlying intention. We may ask God for specific things as part of a blessing … but behind all the things we ask for is a deep desire to see the world set right.”
