Daily Readings - Fri Mar 20 2020
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 encounter two powerful calls to devotion and love. The prophet Hosea urges the Israelites to return to the Lord, turning away from their sins and idols, trusting not in earthly alliances but in God's mercy. This call to repentance is not just a historical lesson but a timeless invitation to each of us to examine our hearts and redirect our focus to God.
In the Gospel, Jesus, when asked about the greatest commandment, emphasizes loving God with our entire being and loving our neighbor as ourselves. This teaching, affirmed by the scribe, underscores that true devotion to God is inseparable from our treatment of others. Both readings highlight the importance of a sincere, heartfelt relationship with God that naturally overflows into love and service for others.
As we reflect on these teachings, let us consider how we can turn away from our own 'idols'—be they distractions, sins, or self-reliance—and instead prioritize a deep, prayerful connection with God. Let us also examine how we extend love and compassion to those around us, remembering that our faith is lived out in both our devotion to God and our actions towards others. May we strive to love God fully and our neighbors selflessly, embodying the essence of the Christian life.