Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                           15 August 2020

Isaiah 56:1, 6–8

₁Thus says the Lord:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

for soon my salvation will come,

        and my deliverance be revealed. . . .

₆“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, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—

₇these 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.”

₈The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

“I will gather yet others to him

        besides those already gathered.”

Psalm 67

₁May God be gracious to us and | bless us*

and make his face to shine up- | on us,

₂that your way may be |

known on earth,*

your saving power among all | nations.

₃Let the peoples praise you, | O God;*

let all the peoples | praise you!

₄Let the nations be glad and |

sing for joy,*

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations up- | on earth.

₅Let the peoples praise you, | O God;*

let all the peoples | praise you!

₆The earth has yielded its | increase;*

God, our God, shall | bless us.

₇God shall | bless us;*

let all the ends of the earth | fear him!

Romans 11:1–2a, 13–15, 28–32

        ₁I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ₂God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. . . .

        ₁₃Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ₁₄in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. ₁₅For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? . . .

₂₈As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ₂₉For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ₃₀Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ₃₁so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. ₃₂For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Matthew 15:21–28

        ₂₁Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ₂₂And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” ₂₃But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” ₂₄He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ₂₅But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ₂₆And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ₂₇She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ₂₈Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.