Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                     25 September 2021

Numbers 11:4–6, 10–16, 24–29

          ₄Now the rabble that was among [the children of Israel] had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! ₅We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. ₆But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. . . .”

          ₁₀Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. ₁₁Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? ₁₂Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? ₁₃Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ ₁₄I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. ₁₅If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

          ₁₆Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. . . .”

          ₂₄So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. ₂₅Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

          ₂₆Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. ₂₇And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” ₂₈And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” ₂₉But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Psalm 104:27-35

James 5:1–20

          ₁Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. ₂Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. ₃Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. ₄Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. ₅You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ₆You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

          ₇Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ₈You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ₉Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold,

the Judge is standing at the door. ₁₀As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ₁₁Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

          ₁₂But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

          ₁₃Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ₁₄Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ₁₅And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ₁₆Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ₁₇Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ₁₈Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

          ₁₉My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ₂₀let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Mark 9:38–50

          ₃₈John said to [Jesus], “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ₃₉But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ₄₀For the one who is not against us is for us. ₄₁For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

          ₄₂“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ₄₃And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ₄₅And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. ₄₇And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ₄₈‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ ₄₉For everyone will be salted with fire. ₅₀Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”