Daily Readings - Wed Oct 11 2017
Jonah
1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.2And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.3Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."4And the LORD said, "Do you do well to be angry?"5Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.6Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.7But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.8When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."9But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die."10And the LORD said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night.11And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?"
Luke
1Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."2And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.3Give us each day our daily bread,4and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound lessons on mercy, prayer, and trust in God's plan. The Book of Jonah presents a prophet grappling with God's compassion, while the Gospel of Luke offers the Lord's Prayer, a timeless guide to deepening our relationship with the Father.
Jonah's story unfolds as he struggles with God's decision to spare Nineveh. Despite Jonah's anger and sense of injustice, God uses a simple plant and a worm to illustrate His boundless mercy. This teaches Jonah—and us—that God's love extends far beyond our limited understanding, embracing even those we might deem unworthy. Meanwhile, in Luke, Jesus teaches the disciples to pray with humility and trust, emphasizing themes of forgiveness and reliance on God's providence.
These readings connect through their emphasis on mercy and prayer. Jonah's experience shows that God's ways are not our ways, urging us to embrace His compassion. The Lord's Prayer guides us to seek God's will and forgive others, mirroring the mercy Jonah was taught. In our daily lives, we can apply these lessons by practicing forgiveness and trusting in God's plan, even when it challenges our expectations. Let us reflect on how we can grow in mercy and deepen our prayer life, trusting that God's love and wisdom guide us always.