Daily Readings - Tue Mar 27 2018
Isaiah
1Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.2He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.3And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."4But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God."5And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him--for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength--6he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
John
21After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."22The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.23One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus,24so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.25So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?"26Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.27Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."28Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him.29Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.30So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.31When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.32If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.'36Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward."37Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."38Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of service, betrayal, and trust in God’s plan. The first reading from Isaiah presents the figure of the suffering servant, who, despite feeling that his efforts are in vain, is reminded by God that his mission extends far beyond Israel to the Gentiles. This servant’s journey is marked by trust in God’s providence, even when the results of his labor are not immediately apparent. In the Gospel, we find Jesus at the Last Supper, predicting his betrayal by Judas and Peter’s denial. These moments of sorrow and failure are set against the backdrop of Jesus’ unwavering commitment to his mission, even as he faces the darkness of rejection and abandonment.
The connection between the two readings lies in their emphasis on the challenges inherent in serving God’s will. Isaiah’s servant and Jesus both experience moments of doubt and discouragement, yet they remain steadfast in their trust in God. For the servant, this trust leads to the realization that his mission is not limited to Israel but extends to all nations. For Jesus, it leads to the ultimate act of self-giving love, even in the face of betrayal. These stories remind us that our own journeys of faith are not immune to setbacks, but it is precisely in these moments that we are called to deepen our trust in God’s plan.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are invited to reflect on how we respond to failure and discouragement. Like the servant in Isaiah, we may feel that our efforts are in vain, but God assures us that our work has meaning beyond what we can see. Like Peter, we may falter in our resolve, but Jesus calls us to follow him even in our weakness. The moral lesson here is clear: our faith is not measured by our successes but by our willingness to trust in God’s providence, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Let us, therefore, embrace the challenges of our own mission, knowing that God’s glory is revealed not in our achievements but in our fidelity to his will.