Daily Readings - Sun Dec 20 2020

¹Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,²the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent."³And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you."⁴But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,⁵"Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?⁸Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.⁹And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,¹¹from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.¹²When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.¹⁴I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,¹⁶And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'"

Romans

Chapter 16

²⁵Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages²⁶but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith--²⁷to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Luke

Chapter 1

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.²⁸And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.³⁰And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."³⁴And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"³⁵And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God.³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God."³⁸And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Sermon

In today's readings, we journey through the unfolding of God's promise and its fulfillment. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts Nathan's prophetic message to David, assuring him of a lasting dynasty and a throne that will endure forever. This promise is not just about David's earthly kingdom but points to a greater, eternal kingdom through his descendant, Jesus Christ. The second reading from Romans highlights the revelation of this mystery through the prophets, emphasizing that the Gospel is for all people, bringing glory to God. The Gospel of Luke presents the Annunciation, where Mary, with humility and faith, accepts God's will, embodying the obedience and trust that fulfills the promises made to David. These readings intertwine the Old Testament promise with the New Testament fulfillment. David's throne finds its ultimate reality in Jesus, the Son of David and the Son of God. Paul's letter underscores that this mystery, once hidden, is now revealed to all through Jesus Christ. Mary's "Yes" to God's plan exemplifies the faith and trust required to participate in this divine plan. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God's plan, just as Mary did. Her response, "Let it be done to me according to your word," invites us to surrender to God's will. Like David, we are to have faith in God's promises, knowing that His plan is always greater than ours. As we reflect on these readings, let us embrace the obedience and trust modeled by David and Mary, allowing God to work through us to fulfill His eternal purposes.