Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                               26 June 2021

Lamentations 3:22–33

₂₂The steadfast love of the Lord

  never ceases;

         his mercies never come to an end;

₂₃they are new every morning;

         great is your faithfulness.

₂₄“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

         “therefore I will hope in him.”

₂₅The Lord is good to those who

  wait for him,

         to the soul who seeks him.

₂₆It is good that one should wait quietly

         for the salvation of the Lord.

₂₇It is good for a man that he bear

         the yoke in his youth.

₂₈Let him sit alone in silence

         when it is laid on him;

₂₉let him put his mouth in the dust—

         there may yet be hope;

₃₀let him give his cheek to the one

  who strikes,

         and let him be filled with insults.

₃₁For the Lord will not

         cast off forever,

₃₂but, though he cause grief,

  he will have compassion

         according to the abundance

         of his steadfast love;

₃₃for he does not willingly afflict

         or grieve the children of men.

Psalm 30

2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 13–15

         ₁We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ₂for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ₃For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, ₄begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— ₅and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ₆Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. ₇But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

         ₈I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ₉For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. . . .

         ₁₃I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness ₁₄your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. ₁₅As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Mark 5:21–43

         ₂₁When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. ₂₂Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet ₂₃and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ₂₄And he went with him.

         And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. ₂₅And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ₂₆and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ₂₇She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ₂₈For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” ₂₉And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ₃₀And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ₃₁And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ₃₂And he looked around to see who had done it. ₃₃But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ₃₄And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

         ₃₅While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ₃₆But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ₃₇And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ₃₈They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ₃₉And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ₄₀And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ₄₁Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ₄₂And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ₄₃And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.