Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and in our time grant us thy peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."

The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."

Psalm:111

1. Hallelujah!
   I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, *
   in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
2. Great are the deeds of the LORD! *
   they are studied by all who delight in them.
3. His work is full of majesty and splendor, *
   and his righteousness endures for ever.
4. He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; *
   the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5. He gives food to those who fear him; *
   he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6. He has shown his people the power of his works *
   in giving them the lands of the nations.
7. The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; *
   all his commandments are sure.
8. They stand fast for ever and ever, *
   because they are done in truth and equity.
9. He sent redemption to his people;
   he commanded his covenant for ever; *
   holy and awesome is his Name.
10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; *
    those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
    his praise endures for ever.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 8:1b-13
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching-- and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." News about him s pread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible