This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
You can download a foldable bookmark here: 2026
17:1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,1 with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,2 and it3 came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.4 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”5
22 As they were gathering6 in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.7 Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”
[1] 17:5
[2] 17:18
[3] 17:18
[4] 17:18
[5] 17:20
[6] 17:22
[7] 17:27
(ESV)
One of the tremendous blessings of working at a church like Concordia is the incredibly generous spirit of its members. More than once, a member has offered to help me with something only to refuse to accept payment for their services. Then there have been the meals I have shared with members. After some delicious food and delightful conversation, the check will arrive. And almost immediately, the person across the table from me will snatch it up. And as much as I might protest, my lunch companion will insist that he pay. After some bantering back and forth, he usually wins. Although I have been known to wrestle a check away from a member if they've tried to pay for my meal one too many times!
I have often pondered what moves so many of our beloved members to so much generosity. For I have seen much munificence lavished upon the depressed, the needy, and the bereaved, as well as on many others, by our wonderful members. I believe our text for today from Matthew 17 gives us a clue as to the source of such bigheartedness.
In the first century, every Jewish male between the ages of 20 and 50 was required to pay an annual "two-drachma tax" (verse 24) in support of the temple and its administrative costs. This tax was first levied in Exodus 30:13 as a half-shekel tax, prescribed by God, to support the running of the tabernacle. A half-shekel tax to a two-drachma tax - it seems inflation was a problem even back then.
Jesus seizes on this tax and uses it as an object lesson for his disciples: "'From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes?' Jesus asks. "From their own sons or from others?' 'From others,' Peter answers. 'Then the sons are exempt,' Jesus says to him" (verses 25-26). The sons are exempt from having to pay taxes. Why? Because the king, although he may be willing to levy a tax on his people, has a special affection for his son. And his son's exemption from paying the tax is one of the ways he expresses that affection. Thus, Jesus, as God's Son, is exempt from paying the temple tax. For that tax was originally levied by his heavenly Father. And the Father loves the Son.
Whether it has come in the form of someone helping me and then refusing payment or someone buying me a meal, I have lost count of how many times I have been "exempt" from paying a "tax" on something. Why? Because the person paying for me wanted to express their affection for me as their brother or sister in Christ. And I deeply appreciate it.
So today, in light of all this, I offer you this challenge: Who can you treat as a son or a daughter in the faith, as a brother or a sister in Christ, exempting them from paying a tax on something? In other words, toward whom can you be generous today? Maybe you can treat a friend to lunch. Maybe you can pay for the person in front of you at the drive-thru window. Maybe you can donate some needed items to a family with a newborn. Maybe you can help a friend in need with their utility bills. The options are infinite, but the affect that your generosity can have on another person is singularly unique. So "exempt" someone today from a "tax" and show them how much you love them. After all, your soul has been "exempted" from the "tax" of hell and eternal punishment by Jesus. Why? Because you, indeed we, are his sons and daughters. And so, out of his love, he has exempted us. Now reflect that exemption to others.
46:1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
2 About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 “Prepare buckler and shield,
and advance for battle!
4 Harness the horses;
mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
polish your spears,
put on your armor!
5 Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
and have turned backward.
Their warriors are beaten down
and have fled in haste;
they look not back—
terror on every side!
declares the LORD.
6 “The swift cannot flee away,
nor the warrior escape;
in the north by the river Euphrates
they have stumbled and fallen.
7 “Who is this, rising like the Nile,
like rivers whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers whose waters surge.
He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
9 Advance, O horses,
and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go out:
men of Cush and Put who handle the shield,
men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10 That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts,
a day of vengeance,
to avenge himself on his foes.
The sword shall devour and be sated
and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice
in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
and the earth is full of your cry;
for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
they have both fallen together.”
13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:
14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol;
proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes;
say, ‘Stand ready and be prepared,
for the sword shall devour around you.’
15 Why are your mighty ones face down?
They do not stand1
because the LORD thrust them down.
16 He made many stumble, and they fell,
and they said one to another,
‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
and to the land of our birth,
because of the sword of the oppressor.’
17 Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
18 “As I live, declares the King,
whose name is the LORD of hosts,
like Tabor among the mountains
and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,
O inhabitants of Egypt!
For Memphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, without inhabitant.
20 “A beautiful heifer is Egypt,
but a biting fly from the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst
are like fattened calves;
yes, they have turned and fled together;
they did not stand,
for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
the time of their punishment.
22 “She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away;
for her enemies march in force
and come against her with axes
like those who fell trees.
23 They shall cut down her forest,
declares the LORD,
though it is impenetrable,
because they are more numerous than locusts;
they are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;
she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”
25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the LORD.
27 “But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the LORD,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
[1] 46:15
(ESV)
This chapter begins the concluding section of Jeremiah's prophecies that speak God's Word of judgment on the nations. God promises to judge the nations that have come against His chosen people Israel, even though God himself raised them up in order to chasten and rebuke His rebellious children. God is always at work on the stage of history to fulfill His goal for the salvation of mankind, and even though it may seem that things are out of control, this is not the case. God's words of judgment began with Egypt, the place from which Jeremiah's prophecy was spoken. Egypt had for a brief period of about four years made Israel its subject once again, even as Pharaoh had enslaved the descendants of Joseph many centuries before, but Egypt's power over Israel was short lived, coming to an end at the battle of Carchemish in humiliating defeat at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Jeremiah described Egypt's downfall in dramatic poetry, as though the battle were being engaged before his eyes. Even though Egypt imagined itself rising like the Nile to cover the earth, destroying cities and nations, God foretold their downfall. Ironically, although the people of Israel offered sacrifices to the Egyptian idols, God was going to make a sacrifice of Egypt herself. Pharaoh's noisy claims of military might were empty, thus God gave him the nickname, "Noisy one who lets the hours go by." God warned that just as He had made Jerusalem a desolation, so he would make a wasteland of the Egyptian city of Memphis. God declared that He was bringing punishment on Egypt and her gods and kings by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. All of this, however, was part of God's plan to eventually restore His chosen people, and return Jacob to "quiet and ease" after their exile in Babylon.
91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say1 to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
[1] 91:2
(ESV)