James 2.1-13
(Epistle)
1My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.
2For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,
3and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”
4haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
6But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?
7Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
8However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
13For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Romans 6.3-11
(Epistle, Afterfeast of Theophany)
3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
7For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him,
9knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him!
10For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.
11Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Luke 19.12-28
(Gospel)
12He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
13He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’
14But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’
15“When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.
16The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’
17“He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
18“The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’
19“So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,
21for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’
22“He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down and reaping that which I didn’t sow.
23Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’
24He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.’
25“They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’
26‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.
27But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’”
28Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
John 3.22-33
(Gospel, Afterfeast of Theophany)
22After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized.
23John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized;
24for John was not yet thrown into prison.
25Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.
26They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
27John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
28You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’
29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full.
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
31“He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
33He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.