Friday, January 9

1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,'

4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

6But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

7Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you do well;

9but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

11For He who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

13For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

33The Way of Discipleship Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, 'What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?'

34But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.

35And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.'

36Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,

37'Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.'

38Now John answered Him, saying, 'Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.'

39But Jesus said, 'Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.

40For he who is not against us is on our side.

41For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.