Year A – Proper 21
Full-text of the Appointed Lessons (RSV and NRSV), with instructions for lectors
September 27 – 18 Pentecost – RCL
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Exodus 17:1-7
The Israelites wander in the wilderness, wondering if God has forgotten them.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of Exodus:
(Lead in with) RSV: All the congregation…; NRSV: From the wilderness…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people found fault with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you find fault with me? Why do you put the LORD to the proof?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the rod with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the faultfinding of the children of Israel, and because they put the LORD to the proof by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
New Revised Standard Version
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
ILLUMINATION for the Alternate First Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
The formula is simple, though perhaps not easy: as it was in the time of Ezekiel, so it is today — acknowledge the truth of the Lord our God and we shall be saved.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: The word of the Lord came…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
New Revised Standard Version
The word of the LORD came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die. Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord GOD. Turn, then, and live.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Philippians 2:1-13
Christians in Philippi are encouraged by the creed of Jesus Christ which the Apostle Paul shares in the body of his letter to them.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians:
(Lead in with) RSV: If there is any encouragement…; NRSV: If then there is any…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
New Revised Standard Version
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Matthew 21:23-32
While clever religious adherents seek to trip up Jesus with particularities of custom, Jesus is more interested in the integrity of people’s souls.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: When Jesus entered the temple…
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
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.”
New Revised Standard Version
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, `From heaven,’ he will say to us, `Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, `Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”
September 27 – 18 Pentecost – BCP
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
The formula is simple, though perhaps not easy: as it was in the time of Ezekiel, so it is today — acknowledge the truth of the Lord our God and we shall be saved.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: The word of the Lord came…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
New Revised Standard Version
The word of the LORD came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die. Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord GOD. Turn, then, and live.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Philippians 2:1-13
Christians in Philippi are encouraged by the creed of Jesus Christ which the Apostle Paul shares in the body of his letter to them.
A reading (lesson) from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians:
(Lead in with) RSV: If there is any encouragement…; NRSV: If then there is any…
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
New Revised Standard Version
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
18 Pentecost (Proper 21), Year A, September 27, 2026
Matthew 21:28-32
While clever religious adherents seek to trip up Jesus with particularities of custom, Jesus is more interested in the integrity of people’s souls.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: Jesus said, “What do you think?…”
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, “What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.”
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus said, “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”
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
“This is the Christian story. God liberated the children of Israel from their captivity in Egypt and fed them with manna and gave them water from the rock. God in Christ frees us from sin, the flesh, and the devil, and sustains us with sacred bread and wine. God has done this at the cost of the humiliation and death of Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
“Prayer and dogma are one. Dogma is a hard and discernible content outlined in the historic creeds and explained further in all that the Church has taught, confessed, and believed. Scripture and tradition are the landscape of dogma, for which a lifetime of study is never enough.”
“In the life and ministry of Jesus the kingdom has begun to dawn, so that it is meaningful to speak of people ‘already’ entering it now. But its final consummation is ‘not yet,’ and must await the return of Christ on the Last Day.”
Preaching Today
Jo Bailey Wells: By What Authority?
“How do we stop ourselves falling into the same trap that the Israelites did? So caught up with their own place of authority and their own perception of what they thought God was like, they were no longer able to see what God was actually doing right in front of them.”
Amy Peeler: Ezekiel 18
“The addressees of Ezekiel’s message should draw this logical conclusion: if you are suffering the beginnings of exile, it is because you have departed from God. You can’t blame your parents. You are culpable.”
Classic Texts
Henry Hammond: Every Atom of That Flaming Sword
“Every word that was ever darted from that Spirit, as a beam or javelin of that piercing sun, every atom of that flaming sword, as the word is phrased, shall not, though it be refused, vanish; the day of vengeance shall instruct your souls that it was sent from God.”
Leo the Great: The Condescension of Compassion
“Though invisible he made himself visible, though Creator and Lord of all things he chose to be one of us mortals; yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So he who in the nature of God had created humankind, became, in the nature of a servant, human himself.”
Richard Trench: His Eyes Open
“But if this righteousness is satisfied with itself; if, cold and loveless and proud, it imagines that it wants nothing, and so refuses to submit itself to the righteousness of faith, then far better that the sinner should have had his eyes open to perceive his misery and guilt, even though this had been by means of manifest and grievous transgressions.”
Articles on Authority
Boone Porter: A Broader View
“Beside the powerful and holy ancient legends of tribal prehistory, we also set the true story of the One who is the central figure in the history of the entire human race, the true stories of men and women and children who have lived and died for him ever since, and the hope of that heavenly country where we will live with them in his presence.”
Mac Stewart: Glorious Apparel
“‘The Lord hath put on glorious apparel.’ Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and he has wrapped himself in light as with a cloak. The glorious apparel that he now wears is the power of an indestructible life, the life that was the light of men and that the darkness has not overcome.”
Bryan Owen: Too Good to Be True
“The resurrection gives us the assurance that not even the power of death can thwart God’s desire that there be life in abundance. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a reality that opens ‘every moment of our history … to a future of healing and promise.’”
Articles on Struggle
Boone Porter: Christ and the Cavemen
“For what was the longest but most unknown period of human history, for hundreds of unchronicled centuries, cold, frightened, hungry human creatures carried on an endless battle for survival. They were your ancestors and mind, also the ancestors of Jesus.”
Philip Tuner: A Time of Trial — What Then Shall We Do?
“I do not mean to suggest that God has sent COVID-19 to punish us. I suggest only that God speaks to us in the midst of life’s fragility to remind us that none of our efforts to avoid the abyss from which we come and to which we return will finally succeed. … In light of these realities, God asks what is the basis of our hope?”
Christin Ditchfield Lazo: Purpose in the Pain
“Pain can lead us to a new and profound experience of his presence, his peace. Pain can help us more closely identify with and follow the example of Jesus, the ‘Man of Sorrows’ who himself ‘learned obedience from what he suffered’ (Heb. 5:8).”
Articles on Testing
Michael Smith: The Time of Trial
“It is sometimes difficult to determine whether we are tested by God, tempted by Satan, or put under fire by other human beings or by the circumstances of life. The one thing certain is that we will face numerous trials in our time under the sun.”
Shirley O’Shea: The Trials of Returning to Worship
“Why would God allow this? How could we be expected to continue praising God and seeking his will in our lives while being separated from one another, when Scripture clearly demonstrates that this has never been his intention for the church?”
Ben Lima: A Test of Faith
“Gazing at Hunt’s vision, as the light starts to shine over the heads of the rejoicing child martyrs, is an encouragement to neither ignore the world’s worst atrocities, nor to rationalize or explain them away, but simply to stand firm in faith.”
