Daily Readings - Mon Jan 28 2019

Hebrews

15Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.24For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Mark

22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."23And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.27But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.28"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"--30for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of sin, redemption, and the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. In the first reading from Hebrews, we hear about Christ as the mediator of the new covenant, whose single sacrifice on the cross destroys sin once and for all. This passage emphasizes that Christ’s sacrifice is not repeated, unlike the offerings of the high priests in the Old Testament. Instead, he enters heaven to intercede for us, and his work of salvation is complete. The second reading from Mark’s Gospel shifts our focus to the spiritual battle at play. Jesus is accused by the scribes of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus responds by pointing out the absurdity of Satan working against himself, and he warns that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—an act of deliberate rebellion against God’s truth—is the one sin that cannot be forgiven. These readings are deeply connected. In Hebrews, we see the definitive sacrifice of Christ that frees us from sin, while in Mark, we are reminded of the spiritual opposition we face and the gravity of rejecting God’s grace. Together, they call us to recognize the seriousness of sin and the importance of aligning our lives with God’s truth. The Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, is the source of all truth and holiness. To reject the Spirit’s work in our lives is to cut ourselves off from God’s grace and forgiveness. In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to examine our relationship with sin and grace. Do we recognize the gift of redemption that Christ has won for us, or do we take it for granted? Are we open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, or do we resist his promptings? Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s plan and to live in a way that reflects our gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ. May we never forget the gravity of sin, but also may we never lose hope in the boundless mercy of God, who desires to free us from all that separates us from him.