Daily Readings - Sat Feb 01 2020
2 Samuel
1And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.2The rich man had very many flocks and herds,3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."5Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,6and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."7Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'11Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.12For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'"13David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die15Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick.16David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.17And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
Mark
35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on faith, sin, and the transformative power of God. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David’s sin and his subsequent confrontation by the prophet Nathan. David, who had risen to great heights as king, fell into grave sin by taking Uriah’s wife and arranging his death. Nathan’s parable of the rich man and the poor man’s sheep cuts through David’s defenses, leading him to acknowledge his sin. The reading reminds us that even the greatest among us can fall, but it is through repentance and acknowledgment of our sin that we find mercy and forgiveness.
The Gospel from Mark offers a starkly different yet complementary narrative. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat in the midst of a violent storm. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples panic, fearing for their lives. Jesus’ calm and authoritative command over the wind and waves reveals his divine power and challenges the disciples’ lack of faith. This story invites us to reflect on our own trust in God during life’s storms. Just as the disciples were afraid despite Jesus’ presence, we often doubt God’s providence in the face of challenges. Yet, Jesus’ words, “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” remind us to turn to him with confidence, knowing he is always with us.
Together, these readings call us to humility and faith. David’s story shows us that acknowledging our sin is the first step toward healing, while the Gospel reminds us that even in the midst of turmoil, God’s power and love are greater than any storm. Let us strive to live with the humility of David, who confessed his sin, and with the faith of those who, though imperfect, trusted in Jesus’ presence in their lives. May we turn to God in repentance and trust, knowing that he is always near to calm the storms and forgive our sins.