Daily Readings - Fri Mar 29 2019
Hosea
1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.2Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.3Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, 'Our God,' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy."4I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.5I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;6his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon.7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.8O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
Mark
28And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"29Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."32And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.33And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."34And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Sermon
In today's readings, we hear powerful messages about love and mercy. The Prophet Hosea calls Israel to return to the Lord, promising healing and restoration through God's merciful love. Using vivid imagery like dew and lilies, Hosea illustrates how God's grace can revive even the most withered hearts. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that the greatest commandments are to love God with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. A scribe agrees, acknowledging that these teachings surpass even sacrifices, and Jesus affirms his understanding, noting his closeness to the kingdom of God.
These passages, though from different times, share a common theme: the transformative power of love. Hosea's context was a divided Israel facing conquest, yet he emphasizes God's mercy over punishment. Similarly, Jesus, in a tense Jerusalem setting, simplifies the law to its essence—love. Together, they remind us that our relationship with God and others is central to our faith.
Let us reflect on how we embody this love in our lives. Do our actions and decisions stem from a deep love for God and neighbor? Let us examine our hearts and interactions, ensuring they reflect the transformative love these readings call us to. Remember, our faith is not just in rituals but in living out genuine love, the foundation of our relationship with God and each other.