But She Answered Him (PiA)

Isaiah 35:4-7a

4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, 

"Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, 

He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. 

He will come and save you."

5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,

And the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6Then the lame shall leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert.

7the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water;

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God

Mark 7:24-30

24From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 28But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go - the demon has left your daughter." 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God.

Heavy Burdens (PIA)

Zechariah 9:9-12

9Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

10He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem;

and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 

11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 

12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

16‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, 17“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’

25At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God.