Bible Readings - Jan. 24, 2025

Reading 1

Hebrews 8:6-13

Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless,

no place would have been sought for a second one.

But he finds fault with them and says:

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,

when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of

Israel and the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers

the day I took them by the hand to lead

them forth from the land of Egypt;

for they did not stand by my covenant

and I ignored them, says the Lord.

But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel

after those days, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their minds

and I will write them upon their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying,

“Know the Lord,”

for all shall know me, from least to greatest.

For I will forgive their evildoing

and remember their sins no more.

When he speaks of a “new” covenant,

he declares the first one obsolete.

And what has become obsolete

and has grown old is close to disappearing.

Psalm 85:8, 10-14

Show us, O LORD, your mercy,

and grant us your salvation.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,

glory dwelling in our land.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and salvation, along the way of his steps.

see 2 Corinthians 5:19

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,

not counting their trespasses against them

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Gospel

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted

and they came to him.

He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,

that they might be with him

and he might send them forth to preach

and to have authority to drive out demons:

He appointed the Twelve:

Simon, whom he named Peter;

James, son of Zebedee,

and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,

that is, sons of thunder;

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;

Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,

and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Matthew 5:17-20

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,

not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter

will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments

and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called

greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes

and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.