Daily Readings - Fri Jan 31 2020
2 Samuel
1In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.2It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.3And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"4So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.5And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."6So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king.9But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.10When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"13And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.15In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."16And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
Mark
26And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."30And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two contrasting narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of growth and its implications in our spiritual lives. The first reading from 2 Samuel 11 presents the story of King David, a man of great faith and leadership, who succumbs to sin. His encounter with Bathsheba leads to a series of choices that escalate from adultery to murder, revealing how unchecked sin can grow and dominate one's life. This narrative serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing sin to take root, emphasizing the importance of accountability and repentance.
The Gospel reading from Mark 4 offers a different perspective on growth through Jesus' parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed. These parables illustrate the kingdom of God's nature—starting small, yet leading to remarkable growth. Just as a seed germinates and flourishes without the farmer's constant intervention, faith can develop quietly yet powerfully within us. The mustard seed, though tiny, becomes a haven for many, symbolizing how even small acts of faith can have a profound impact.
These readings together remind us that growth is a double-edged sword. While sin can grow into something destructive, our faith can also grow into something transformative. The challenge is to nurture the right kind of growth—spiritual growth that leads to a deeper relationship with God. By tending to our faith with prayer, reflection, and good works, we can allow the kingdom of God to flourish within us, just as the mustard seed becomes a shelter for many. Let us be vigilant in uprooting sin and diligent in cultivating a fruitful spiritual life, trusting that God will bring His kingdom to fruition in and through us.