Proper 20: The Sunday closest to September 21, BCP

Jonah 3:10-4:11
Philippians 1:21-27
Matthew 20:1-16
Psalm 145 or 145:1-8

The Collect

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Old Testament

Jonah 3:10-4:11When God saw what the people of Nineveh did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Psalm 145 or 145:1-8 Page 801, BCP
Exaltabo te, Deus

1
I will exalt you, O God my King, *
and bless your Name for ever and ever.

2
Every day will I bless you *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.

3
Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to his greatness.

4
One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power.

5
I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
and all your marvelous works.

6
They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
and I will tell of your greatness.

7
They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.

8
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.

9
The LORD is loving to everyone *
and his compassion is over all his works.

10
All your works praise you, O LORD, *
and your faithful servants bless you.

11
They make known the glory of your kingdom *
and speak of your power;

12
That the peoples may know of your power *
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14
The LORD is faithful in all his words *
and merciful in all his deeds.

15
The LORD upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.

16
The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, *
and you give them their food in due season.

17
You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

18
The LORD is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.

19
The LORD is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.

20
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *
he hears their cry and helps them.

21
The LORD preserves all those who love him, *
but he destroys all the wicked.

22
My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; *
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

The Epistle

Philippians 1:21-27

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.

The Gospel

Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, `You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, `Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, `You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, `Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7
Romans 14:5-12
Matthew 18:21-35
Psalm 103 or 103:8-13

The Collect

O God, because without you we are not able to please you mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson

Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7

Anger and wrath, these are abominations,
yet a sinner holds on to them.
The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance,
for he keeps a strict account of their sins.
Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done,
and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
Does anyone harbor anger against another,
and expect healing from the Lord?
If one has no mercy toward another like himself,
can he then seek pardon for his own sins?
If a mere mortal harbors wrath,
who will make an atoning sacrifice for his sins?
Remember the end of your life, and set enmity aside;
remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.
Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor;
remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook faults.

The Psalm

Psalm 103 or 103:8-13 Page 733, BCP
Benedic, anima mea

1
Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.

2
Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
and forget not all his benefits.

3
He forgives all your sins *
and heals all your infirmities;

4
He redeems your life from the grave *
and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;

5
He satisfies you with good things, *
and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.

6
The LORD executes righteousness *
and judgment for all who are oppressed.

7
He made his ways known to Moses *
and his works to the children of Israel.

8
The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.

9
He will not always accuse us, *
nor will he keep his anger for ever.

10
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.

11
For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.

12
As far as the east is from the west, *
so far has he removed our sins from us.

13
As a father cares for his children, *
so does the LORD care for those who fear him.

14
For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
he remembers that we are but dust.

15
Our days are like the grass; *
we flourish like a flower of the field;

16
When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
and its place shall know it no more.

17
But the merciful goodness of the LORD endures for ever on those who fear him, *
and his righteousness on children’s children;

18
On those who keep his covenant *
and remember his commandments and do them.

19
The LORD has set his throne in heaven, *
and his kingship has dominion over all.

20
Bless the LORD, you angels of his,
you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
and hearken to the voice of his word.

21
Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, *
you ministers of his who do his will.

22
Bless the LORD, all you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; *
bless the LORD, O my soul.

The Epistle

Romans 14:5-12

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

The Gospel

Matthew 18:21-35

Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, `Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”