Visual Resources for the Lectionaries

This post offers visual resources for the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary for November 19, 2023.  The RCL jumps to Judges and the story of Deborah for the first reading.  The second reading is Zephaniah 1. The third reading marks the fifth week in 1 Thessalonians. The Gospel is Matthew 25:14-30. This is the parable of the talents that is part of the Eschatological Discourse. The NL jumps to the words of Isaiah 5 and 11 where Israel is compared to a vineyard that must be severely pruned.  The Gospel reading is Mark 12:1-3 where Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants. I titled this Servants of the Vineyard because both lectionaries are dealing with the reckoning that must come when leaders misuse the gifts God has given them.

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Jump to Narrative Lectionary resources.

Revised Common Lectionary

Here are quick links to all the texts for this week:

I don’t have any specific visuals for the Judges or Zephaniah texts this week.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Acts 17:1-15 gives context for the church in Thessalonica. This is page 28 of A Cartoonist’s Guide to Acts.

The RCL Gospel Reading is Matthew 25:14-30. The parable of the talents.

This image comes from page 17 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to Matthew.

I want to apply two of my favorite words to this passage:

What if?

What if the master doesn’t represent God, but he represents the Roman Empire.

Don’t get me wrong. The Bible definitely teaches that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts that we are to use to build up the body of Christ. There are many places that teach that. I just don’t think this is one of them.

Let me show you why I think this might be true. read more…

Preview PowerPoint

Feel free to use any or all of these slides and images in your own preaching and teaching.

Narrative Lectionary

The NL takes us to the prophet Isaiah this week. Isaiah uses the metaphor of a vineyard to describe the Kingdom of Judah and explain why it will be destroyed by the Babylonians. The bad news comes in Isaiah 5:1-17. The Good News comes in Isaiah 11:1-5.

The Gospel is Mark 12:1-3. The parable of the Wicked Tenants.

This is page 17 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to Mark.

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