Daily Readings - Sun Feb 24 2019

²And Saul rose up, and he descended into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand elect men of Israel, so that he might seek David in the desert of Ziph⁷Therefore, David and Abishai went to the people by night, and they found Saul lying down and sleeping in the tent, with his spear fixed in the ground at his head. And Abner and the people were sleeping all around him⁸And Abishai said to David: "God has enclosed your enemy this day in your hands. Now therefore, I will pierce him with my lance, through to the ground, once, and there will not need to be a second.⁹And David said to Abishai: "You shall not kill him. For who may extend his hand against the Christ of the Lord, and yet be innocent?¹²And so, David took the spear, and the cup of water that was at Saul’s head, and they went away. And there was no one who saw it, or realized it, or awakened, but they were all sleeping. For a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen over them¹³And when David had crossed over to the opposite side, and had stood upon the top of the hill far away, so that there was a great interval between them²²And responding, David said: "Behold, the king’s spear. Let one of the servants of the king cross over and take it²³And the Lord will repay each one according to his justice and faith. For the Lord has delivered you this day into my hand, but I was not willing to extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord²⁴And just as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and may he free me from all distress.²⁵Then Saul said to David: "You are blessed, my son David. And whatever you may do, it shall certainly succeed." And David departed on his way. And Saul returned to his place

1 Corinthians

Chapter 15

⁴⁵Just as it was written that the first man, Adam, was made with a living soul, so shall the last Adam be made with a spirit brought back to life⁴⁶So what is, at first, not spiritual, but animal, next becomes spiritual⁴⁷The first man, being earthly, was of the earth; the second man, being heavenly, will be of heaven⁴⁸Such things as are like the earth are earthly; and such things as are like the heavens are heavenly⁴⁹And so, just as we have carried the image of what is earthly, let us also carry the image of what is heavenly

Luke

Chapter 6

²⁷But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you²⁸Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who slander you²⁹And to him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your tunic³⁰But distribute to all who ask of you. And do not ask again of him who takes away what is yours³¹And exactly as you would want people to treat you, treat them also the same³²And if you love those who love you, what credit is due to you? For even sinners love those who love them³³And if you will do good to those who do good to you, what credit is due to you? Indeed, even sinners behave this way³⁴And if you will loan to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is due to you? For even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive the same in return³⁵So truly, love your enemies. Do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. And then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and to the wicked³⁶Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father is also merciful³⁷Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven³⁸Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down and shaken together and overflowing, they will place upon your lap. Certainly, the same measure that you use to measure out, will be used to measure back to you again.

Sermon

The readings today present us with powerful lessons about mercy, compassion, and the call to live according to a higher standard of love and justice. In the first reading from 1 Samuel, David is faced with the opportunity to kill Saul, his persecutor, but he chooses instead to spare his life. This act of restraint is not born of weakness but of a deep respect for God’s anointed and a commitment to trust in divine justice. David’s actions reveal a man who, despite being wronged, refuses to stoop to vengeance and instead leaves the matter in God’s hands. This is a profound example of mercy in action, even in the face of great provocation. The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts our focus to the theological truth of our nature and destiny. Paul contrasts Adam, the earthly man, with Christ, the heavenly man, emphasizing that just as we bear the image of the former, we are called to bear the image of the latter. This means living not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, embracing a life of holiness and love. The Gospel reading from Luke then takes this theological truth and makes it practical. Jesus calls us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, and to treat others as we would want to be treated. He reminds us that true greatness is not in seeking revenge or returning evil for evil, but in imitating God’s mercy and generosity. These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the transformative power of mercy and the call to live as children of the Most High. David’s refusal to harm Saul, Paul’s teaching on the new life in Christ, and Jesus’ command to love our enemies all challenge us to move beyond the cycle of retaliation and instead to embrace a way of life marked by forgiveness, compassion, and trust in God. In our daily lives, this means facing conflicts and difficulties with a spirit of humility and mercy, choosing to see others through the lens of God’s love rather than our own wounded pride. Let us strive to imitate God’s mercy, knowing that it is through such acts of love and forgiveness that we truly reflect the image of the heavenly man, Jesus Christ.