Daily Readings for Saturday, 17 January 2015

Daily Readings for Saturday, 17 January 2015
Hebrews 4:12 What God has said isn’t only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. 13 Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell him the truth.
Jesus Is the Great High Priest
14 We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.
Psalms 19:8 The Lord’s instruction is right;
    it makes our hearts glad.
His commands shine brightly,
    and they give us light.
9 Worshiping the Lord is sacred;
    he will always be worshiped.
All of his decisions
    are correct and fair.
10 They are worth more
    than the finest gold
    and are sweeter than honey
    from a honeycomb.
15 Let the words of my mouth be acceptable,
the thoughts of my heart before you,
LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Mark 2: Jesus Chooses Levi
13 Once again, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes, and Jesus said to him, “Come with me!” So he got up and went with Jesus.
15 Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi’s house.[a] Many tax collectors[b] and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner.
16 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”[Footnotes:
2.15 Levi’s house: Or “Jesus' house.”
2.15 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.] 

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