Daily Readings - Thu Sep 03 2020
1 Corinthians
18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become foolish, so that he may be truly wise19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. And so it has been written: "I will catch the wise in their own astuteness.20And again: "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.21And so, let no one glory in men22For all is yours: whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future. Yes, all is yours23But you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s
Luke
1Now it happened that, when the crowds pressed toward him, so that they might hear the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Genesaret2And he saw two boats standing beside the lake. But the fishermen had climbed down, and they were washing their nets3And so, climbing into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, he asked him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting down, he taught the crowds from the boat4Then, when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Lead us into deep water, and release your nets for a catch.5And in response, Simon said to him: "Teacher, working throughout the night, we caught nothing. But on your word, I will release the net.6And when they had done this, they enclosed such a copious multitude of fish that their net was rupturing7And they signaled to their associates, who were in the other boat, so that they would come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were nearly submerged8But when Simon Peter had seen this, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.9For astonishment had enveloped him, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish that they had taken10Now the same was true of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were associates of Simon. And Jesus said to Simon: "Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be catching men.11And having led their boats to land, leaving behind everything, they followed him
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound lessons on wisdom and faith. The First Reading from 1 Corinthians reminds us that true wisdom is not of this world. Paul warns against being deceived by earthly wisdom, which is foolishness to God. He encourages humility, emphasizing that all things belong to us through Christ, but we belong to Him. This teaches us to seek wisdom that comes from God, not from human pride or understanding.
The Gospel from Luke presents a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry. After teaching from Simon’s boat, Jesus guides the fishermen to a miraculous catch, despite their earlier failure. This miracle reveals Jesus’ divine authority and leads Simon to acknowledge his sinfulness. Jesus then calls him to follow, illustrating how trust in God’s plan can lead to abundant blessings and a deeper commitment to His will.
These readings relate by highlighting the importance of trusting God’s wisdom over the world’s. Just as the Corinthians are reminded not to boast in human leaders, the disciples learn to trust Jesus’ guidance. In our lives, we often face choices between worldly wisdom and God’s plan. Like Simon, we may doubt, but obeying God can lead to unexpected blessings. The moral lesson is clear: humility and trust in God’s wisdom are essential. Let us follow Jesus, letting go of our own understanding and embracing His will, even when it seems uncertain.