Readings for the 7th Sunday of Epiphany, February 23rd, 2014

First Reading: Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

²Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.  ⁹When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  ¹⁰You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.

¹¹You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another.  ¹²And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the LORD.

¹³You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning.  ¹⁴You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

¹⁵You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor.  ¹⁶You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD. 

¹⁷You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself.  ¹⁸You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10–11, 16–23

¹⁰According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.  ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.  ¹⁶Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?  ¹⁷If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise.  ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,

"He catches the wise in their craftiness,"

  ²⁰and again,

"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,

that they are futile."

  ²¹So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,  ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all belong to you,  ²³and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Gospel: Matthew 5:38–48

³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;  ⁴⁰and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well;  ⁴¹and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.  ⁴²Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.