Daily Readings - Mon Sep 05 2022
1 Corinthians
1Above all else, it is being said that there is fornication among you, even fornication of a such kind that is not among the Gentiles, so that someone would have the wife of his father2And yet you are inflated, and you have not instead been grieved, so that he who has done this thing would be taken away from your midst3Certainly, though absent in body, I am present in spirit. Thus, I have already judged, as if I were present, him who has done this4In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have been gathered together with my spirit, in the power of our Lord Jesus5to hand over such a one as this to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ6It is not good for you to glory. Do you not know that a little leaven corrupts the entire mass7Purge the old leaven, so that you may become the new bread, for you are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover, has now been immolated8And so, let us feast, not with the old leaven, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
Luke
6And it happened that, on another Sabbath, he entered into the synagogue, and he taught. And there was a man there, and his right hand was withered7And the scribes and Pharisees observed whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might thereby find an accusation against him8Yet truly, he knew their thoughts, and so he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Rise up and stand in the middle." And rising up, he stood still9Then Jesus said to them: "I ask you if it is lawful on the Sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? To give health to a life, or to destroy it?10And looking around at everyone, he said to the man, "Extend your hand." And he extended it. And his hand was restored11Then they were filled with madness, and they discussed with one another, what, in particular, they might do about Jesus
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the balance between upholding moral standards and showing compassion. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a grave moral failing within the Corinthian community—a case of incest that has gone unaddressed. He calls for the community to act decisively, not out of malice, but to preserve the spiritual health of the Body of Christ. He warns that sin, like leaven, can spread and corrupt the entire community if not addressed. This passage emphasizes the importance of accountability and the need to root out sin, not to punish, but to restore and protect the integrity of the community.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a complementary perspective. Jesus, faced with a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, challenges the Pharisees’ rigid adherence to the law. While the Pharisees are focused on whether healing on the Sabbath is lawful, Jesus asks a deeper question: “Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath?” By healing the man, Jesus demonstrates that compassion and the restoration of human dignity must take precedence over legalistic interpretations of the law. This passage reminds us that our faith is not about rules for their own sake, but about living out God’s love and mercy in the world.
Together, these readings call us to discern when to stand firm against sin and when to show compassion. In our daily lives, we are often faced with similar tensions—between judgment and mercy, between accountability and forgiveness. The readings remind us that true holiness is not about self-righteousness or legalism, but about living in a way that reflects God’s love and justice. May we strive to be communities that both uphold the truth and embody the compassion of Christ, allowing His love to transform us and guide us in all we do.