Gospel Reading – Matthew 6:24-34

24  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” 25  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  26  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  27  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” 28  “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,  29  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  30  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
31  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  32  These things dominate the thoughts of  unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  33  Seek the Kingdom of God [a]  above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” 34  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Gospel Reading – Luke 12:13-21

Parable of the Rich Fool

13  Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” 14  Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”  15  Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” 16  Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced
fine crops.  17  He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’  18  Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.  19  And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 20  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ 21  “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Amen.

Gospel Reading – Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
24 “ Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.  25  But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.  26  When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.” 27  “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ 28  “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. 29  “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.  30  Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
36 “ Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37 “ Jesus replied, “The Son of Man [a]  is the farmer who plants the good seed.  38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.  39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, [b]  and the harvesters are the angels.” 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.  41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.  42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”

Gospel Reading – Mark 6:1-13

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
6 “Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.  2  The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”  3  Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary [a]  and the brother of James, Joseph, [b]  Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.” 4 “ Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”  5  And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  6  And he was amazed at their unbelief.”

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
“Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.  7  And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil [c]  spirits.  8  He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. [d]   9  He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes.” 10  “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town.  11  But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” 12 “ So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.  13  And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.”