Feb. 03

Matthew 17:14-27

14 When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him,
15 and said, "Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water.
16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him."
17 Jesus said in reply, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me."
18 Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured.
19 Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, "Why could we not drive it out?"
20 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
21 )
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were overwhelmed with grief.
24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
25 "Yes," he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?"
26 When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him, "Then the subjects are exempt.
27 But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you."

Psalms 52 & 53

Psalm 52
1 For the leader. A maskil of David,
2 when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, "David went to the house of Ahimelech."
3 Why do you glory in evil, you scandalous liar? All day long
4 you plot destruction; your tongue is like a sharpened razor, you skillful deceiver.
5 You love evil rather than good, lies rather than honest speech. Selah
6 You love any word that destroys, you deceitful tongue.
7 Now God will strike you down, leave you crushed forever, Pluck you from your tent, uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
8 The righteous will look on with awe; they will jeer and say:
9 "That one did not take God as a refuge, but trusted in great wealth, relied on devious plots."
10 But I, like an olive tree in the house of God, trust in God's faithful love forever.
11 I will praise you always for what you have done. I will proclaim before the faithful that your name is good.

Psalm 53
1 For the leader; according to Mahalath. A maskil of David.
2 Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." Their deeds are loathsome and corrupt; not one does what is right.
3 God looks down from heaven upon the human race, To see if even one is wise, if even one seeks God.
4 All have gone astray; all alike are perverse. Not one does what is right, not even one.
5 Will these evildoers never learn? They devour my people as they devour bread; they do not call upon God.
6 They have good reason to fear, though now they do not fear. For God will certainly scatter the bones of the godless. They will surely be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
7 Oh, that from Zion might come the deliverance of Israel, That Jacob may rejoice and Israel be glad when God restores the people!