Highlighting the Bible: Part II, Year A (Matthew, 2014) Gospel readings

A. Hanson, Denver 2014

For the first part of my summer project, I started highlighting the readings from Matthew's Gospel that appear in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.

I should specify that I am using the Augsburg Fortress lectionary calendar for Year A, 2014.  The lectionary readings change slightly in the three year cycle. It is simply not possible to use all of Matthew's Gospel in Year A.  Additionally, John's Gospel is what is used during Holy Week and for the passion narrative, and during the season of Easter.  This does not change from year to year. It is interesting to me what does not appear in the lectionary texts.  In a year of attending worship, you will never hear the following texts from Matthew's Gospel read out loud in worship.

The following are chunks of texts (the fancy seminary word for these are pericopes) that DO NOT appear in the lectionary:

Matthew 1:1-17, The Genealogy of Jesus

Matthew 4:23-25, Jesus ministers to crowds of people

Matthew 6:7-14, a portion of the sermon on the mount concerning prayer

Matthew 6:22-34, More sermon on the mount discourse.  Pertaining to the eye, serving two masters, and "do not worry"

Matthew 7, More from the sermon on the mount.

Matthew 8, Jesus heals a leper.  Jesus heals a Centurion's servant. Jesus healing at Peter's house.   Jesus stills a storm.  Jesus heals the Gadarene demoniac.

Matthew 9, Jesus healing a paralytic.  The call of Matthew the tax collector.  Questions about fasting.  A girl restored to life and a woman healed from hemorrhaging. Jesus healing two blind men.  Jesus healing a mute man.

Matthew 10:1-23, The summoning of the twelve apostles.  The giving of the mission of the twelve.  Warnings of coming persecutions.

Matthew 11:20-24, Woes to unrepentant cities.

Matthew 12, Comments about plucking grain on the Sabbath. The healing of a man with a withered hand.  Jesus and Beelzebul.  A parable of a tree and its fruit. The sign of Jonah.  The return of the unclean spirit.  The true kindred of Jesus.

Matthew 13:10-17, The purpose of the parable

Matthew 13:54-58, the Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

Matthew 14:1-12, The Death of John the Baptist

Matthew 14:34-36, Jesus heals the sick at Gennesaret

Matthew 15:1-9, The tradition of the elders

Matthew 15:29-39, Jesus curing many people.  The feeding of four thousand.

Matthew 16:1-12, The demand for a sign.  The yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Matthew 17:14-27, Jesus cures a boy with a demon.  Jesus again foretells his death and resurrection.  Jesus commenting on the temple tax.

Matthew 18:1-14, True Greatness.  Temptations to sin.  Parable of the lost sheep.

Matthew 19, Teaching about divorce.  Jesus blesses little children.  The parable of the rich young man.

Matthew 20:17-33, A third time Jesus foretells his death and resurrection.  The request of the mother of James and John (having one disciple at Jesus' right hand and another at his left).  Jesus healing two blind men.

Matthew 21:1-22, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Jesus cleansing the temple. Jesus curses the fig tree.

Matthew 22:23-33, The question about the Resurrection.

Matthew 23:13-38, Discourse about woes to the Scribes and Pharisees.  Lament over Jerusalem.

Matthew 24:1-35, Destruction of the temple foretold.  Signs of the end of the age.  Persecutions foretold.  The coming of the son of man.  The lesson of the fig tree.

Matthew 24:45-51, parable of the faithful or unfaithful slave

Matthew 26:1-25, The plot to kill Jesus.  The anointing at Bethany.  Judas agrees to betray Jesus. The passover meal with the disciples.

Matthew 28:11-15, The report of the guard of the empty tomb.