Daily Readings - Sun Mar 18 2018
Jeremiah
31"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,32not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Hebrews
7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
John
20Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.21So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."22Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.23And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.27"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.28Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."30Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine.31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound reflections on covenant, obedience, and the transformative power of self-giving love. The first reading from Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant, one that will be written not on stone tablets but on the hearts of God’s people. This covenant is not about external rules but an interior transformation, where God’s law becomes the very fabric of who we are. The second reading from Hebrews deepens this theme by showing us Jesus, who, though the Son of God, learned obedience through suffering. His prayers, offered with tears and cries, were heard because of his reverence, and through his obedience, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who follow him. In the Gospel, John presents Jesus in the moments leading up to his Passion, where he speaks of his glorification through death. Jesus compares himself to a grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die to bear fruit, teaching us that true life comes through self-sacrifice. The voice from heaven confirms that this moment of glorification is not just for Jesus but for the world, as it marks the defeat of sin and the drawing of all people to himself.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Jeremiah’s promise of a new covenant finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who, as the new Adam, establishes a covenant of love and obedience. The letter to the Hebrews shows us how Jesus, in his humanity, embraced this covenant through his suffering, making him the perfect mediator between God and humanity. In John’s Gospel, we see the culmination of this covenant in Jesus’ willingness to lay down his life, an act that draws all people to himself and defeats the power of sin. Together, these readings reveal that God’s plan of salvation is rooted in love, obedience, and self-giving.
As we reflect on these readings, we are invited to examine our own lives. Are we living according to the new covenant, with God’s law written on our hearts? Do we embrace obedience as a path to union with God, even when it involves suffering? Are we willing to let go of our own desires and ambitions, like the grain of wheat, so that we might bear fruit for others? Jesus’ words remind us that true greatness is found in service and sacrifice. In a world often driven by self-interest and division, we are called to be witnesses of a different way of life—one rooted in love, humility, and trust in God’s plan. Let us ask for the grace to follow Jesus, to embrace the cross, and to allow our lives to be transformed by the power of his love.