Daily Readings - Wed Jan 17 2018
1 Samuel
32And David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."33And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth."37And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"40Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.41And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him.42And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.43And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.44The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field."45Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,47and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand."48When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.49And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
Mark
1Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.2And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.3And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here."4And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.5And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.6The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust in God and the transformative power of faith. The first reading from 1 Samuel recounts the iconic story of David and Goliath. David, a young shepherd, faces the giant Goliath with nothing but a sling and stone, yet his unwavering faith in God leads him to victory. This story reminds us that true strength comes not from human might but from trusting in the Lord. The context of this story is one of fear and doubt among the Israelites, but David's courage, rooted in his relationship with God, shows that even the most daunting challenges can be overcome when we place our trust in Him.
The Gospel from Mark presents a different kind of challenge. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, which provokes the Pharisees and Herodians to plot against Him. This reading highlights the tension between rigid legalism and the compassionate heart of God. Jesus' actions demonstrate that love and mercy should always take precedence over strict adherence to rules. The context here is the Pharisees' obsession with the law, which blinds them to the greater good. Jesus' response shows us that faith is not about following rules but about living out God's love in the world.
Both readings remind us to trust in God's power and to prioritize love and compassion in our lives. Like David, we may face giants in our own lives—challenges that seem insurmountable. But if we place our trust in God, we can overcome them. Like Jesus, we are called to live out our faith in ways that bring healing and hope to others, even when it means challenging the status quo. Let us reflect on how we can apply this trust and compassion in our daily lives, seeking to be instruments of God's love in a world that often values power over people.