Lectionary Bible Study for 13 September 2026
Lectionary Bible Study The Bible in Time blog
Texts for Sunday, September 13, 2026
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 18 | Year A | Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) | Track 1
The Collect - Pray with me…
O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Texts for This Sunday
Exodus 14:19-31
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35
(Note: This study does not cover Track 2 or Psalms.)
Preface:
I write this after Labor Day, which in the USA is the traditional end of summer and new/more structured activity in life. Some faith communities are beginning new programs following the school year.
For those communities using the Revised Common Lectionary (RCM). The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is a three-year cycle of standardized Bible readings used across many Christian denominations for Sunday worship and major feast days. (Google AI)
We are in the season of Pentecost, where I would say the readings follow the teachings of Jesus (and others) on how to live out our lives as Christians individually and associated with a faith community. Following celebrations of Christmas with Advent and Epiphany, and Easter with Lent, we journey to Pentecost or Common Time, and live out what Christians do after the birth, ministry of teaching/healing, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. We are left with the question, “What’s next?” in walking with Jesus.
This study has a lot of links to other sources that I encourage you to review. Take your time in thinking and praying about these words, and listen to God in how they might affect your spirituality. Sources will be listed at the end of the study. We are fortunate to be able to see how our brothers and sisters in faith have thought about these texts over the last 5,000 years or so.
Pray, read, study, think, pray, and ask God to deepen your faith.
DE
The Old Testament
Wow! What a dramatic scene set before us!
This section of Exodus continues the dynamic story of the liberation of the people, moving from slavery to freedom! We have seen Moses and a voice from God, a liberation movement for an enslaved people, 10 plagues by God, a leader giving up, and people beginning their journey to a promised land. The people are being chased by a Pharaoh who has changed his mind and wants to take his slaves back to work. So…
God as Liberator
Vs 19 - 20. God is a protector: an angel guards the front and back of the 600,000-person group, carrying everything they can away from Pharaoh’s chariot force. They arrive at the Sea.
Vs 21-25. God creates a new path for the people to walk between great walls of seawater. Pharaoh and his army follow them
Vs. 26-29. God is protector and judge. God instructs Moses to wave his hand, and the sea returns to normal, killing all of Pharaoh’s army.
Vs. 30-31. God saves the people! With the bodies of dead warriors on the seashore, Israel is saved from oppression by God’s Power.
Cameron B. R. Howard, Working Preacher Commentary:
“The story of God’s deliverance of the Hebrew people from Pharaoh’s army is arguably the foundational narrative of the Bible.”
Howard reminds us that Scripture collects many different testimonies dating from diverse eras of ancient Israelite history and viewpoints. God is portrayed in many different ways (judge, executioner, protector, redeemer, full of mercy, loving, etc.) in the Bible; all of these do not portray the fullness of God’s totality.
The Epistle
Romans 14:1-12
Paul is writing to a faith community of Christians in Rome that seems to be arguing with each other about practices of the Faith. Don’t judge…be welcoming…quit arguing…love one another! He then gives examples upon examples of the arguing and says everything we do should be in honor of God, regardless of how others express their faith daily.
Don’t judge or get ready to be judged by Almighty God! Do this in the context of welcoming others because that is what God continually does for you!
Angela Parker notes that Paul’s view of love (and welcome) must be freely given and cannot come with conditions. … Paul’s view of love allows for diversity of thought and worship within (the faith community).
The question before us in this text is: how can we be a welcoming community? Are we making people feel welcome without judgement?
The Gospel
Peter asks Jesus a simple question: How many times should I forgive someone? Peter seeks a formula to do what is right and correct. Jesus responds outlandishly, saying we are to give ongoing forgiveness with no end.
Ongoing forgiveness, according to Jesus, is always done in the context of love. Nicholas Schaser notes that, because of Jesus' payment on behalf of his people, Matthew expects grateful Christ-followers to offer vast forgiveness to those who transgress against them.
Saying this does not take away the consequences needed for some horrific abuses that are committed by some. The faith community needs to be a herald to stop such abuses/crimes and support victims in the long-lasting recovery from such acts.
Check out Working Preacher Sermon Brainwave for more insights.
Animated overview of the second part of the Gospel of Matthew.
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Notes: Provided as source material and if you want to go further.
Collect is from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.
Lectionary page for 16th Sunday After Pentecost. See notes at bottom of page.
New Oxford Annotated Bible, 5th ed. (NOAB). Exodus = Carol Meyers; Romans = Ann Jervis; Matthew = J.R.C. Cousland
© 2026 by David W. Eitland. Individual study and congregational use approved. All other rights reserved.
Editor: The Rev. Katheryn M. King.
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