Daily Readings - Sat Feb 16 2019
Genesis
9But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"10And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."11He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"12The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."14The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."16To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."17And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;18thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.19By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."20The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.21And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.22Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever--"23therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.24He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Mark
1In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,2"I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."4And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?"5And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."6And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.7And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.9And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.10And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of human encounter with God. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve after their disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Here, we see the consequences of sin—shame, blame-shifting, and the introduction of suffering into the world. Yet, even amidst judgment, there is a glimmer of hope: the promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman, and the ultimate victory of her offspring over evil. This passage reminds us that sin separates us from God, but God does not abandon us; instead, He provides for us, as seen in the garments He makes for Adam and Eve.
The Gospel from Mark presents a very different scene: Jesus, moved by compassion, feeds a crowd of four thousand people with just seven loaves of bread and a few fish. This miracle, like the feeding of the five thousand earlier in Mark’s Gospel, reveals Jesus as the Bread of Life, who satisfies our deepest hungers. Just as God provided garments for Adam and Eve in their nakedness, Jesus provides food for those who are physically and spiritually hungry. Both readings highlight God’s mercy and His desire to restore us, even when we have fallen short.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like Adam and Eve, we often hide from God when we are aware of our sinfulness. Yet, Jesus shows us a God who seeks us out, who feeds us, and who restores us. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God’s providence, even when we face scarcity or hardship. Let us turn to Him with humility and gratitude, knowing that He is always near, ready to satisfy our deepest needs and lead us back to the Paradise of His love.