Daily Readings - Sat Nov 17 2018
3 John
5Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,6who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.7For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.8Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
Luke
1And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.3And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.'4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man,5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"6And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.7And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?8I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Sermon
In today's readings, we are reminded of the power of faithfulness and persistence. The first reading from 3 John encourages us to act faithfully by supporting one another, especially those who serve in God's name. This letter emphasizes the importance of hospitality and mutual aid within the early Christian community, highlighting how our actions reflect our commitment to God. The Gospel from Luke presents the parable of the persistent widow, teaching us about the necessity of continuous prayer and trust in God's justice.
The context of these readings is rooted in the early Christian experience. John's letter addresses a community that relied on each other for support, especially missionaries who traveled to spread the Gospel. Luke's parable, set in a time when Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure, underscores the importance of perseverance in prayer, even when faced with challenges or delays. Both readings stress the importance of living out our faith through consistent actions and unwavering trust in God.
These readings are closely connected, as they both emphasize faithfulness and persistence. In 3 John, faithfulness is demonstrated through tangible acts of love and support for others. In Luke's parable, persistence in prayer mirrors the widow's relentless pursuit of justice. Together, they call us to live out our faith in both action and prayer, trusting that God hears us and will act in His time.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on how we embody faithfulness and persistence. Do we support one another with the same generosity and hospitality that John commends? Do we pray with the same relentless trust as the widow, even when our prayers seem unanswered? Let us strive to live with such faithfulness, knowing that our actions and prayers are not in vain.
As we reflect on these readings, let us remember that our faith is not passive but active. It calls us to care for others and to pray without ceasing, trusting that God will bring justice and vindication. May we, like the widow, persist in prayer and, like the early Christians, support one another in love and faith. In doing so, we live out the truth of the Gospel and bear witness to God's presence in our world.