Daily Readings - Sun Jan 24 2021

¹Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,²"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."³So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.⁴Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"⁵And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.¹⁰When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 7

²⁹This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,³⁰and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods,³¹and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Mark

Chapter 1

¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."¹⁶Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.¹⁷And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."¹⁸And immediately they left their nets and followed him.¹⁹And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.²⁰And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful messages of repentance, urgency, and living with an eternal perspective. The Book of Jonah recounts the story of Jonah, who, after initial reluctance, obeys God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh. The Ninevites, upon hearing Jonah’s warning of impending destruction, repent sincerely, and God, in His mercy, spares them. This narrative underscores God’s desire for conversion and His boundless compassion. In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul urges the Corinthians to live with detachment from worldly concerns, recognizing that our time on earth is short. He advises them to approach life’s joys and sorrows with a sense of detachment, knowing that the world’s current form is transient. This teaching challenges us to focus on eternal values rather than fleeting worldly gains. The Gospel from Mark introduces Jesus beginning His ministry after John the Baptist’s arrest. Jesus proclaims the nearness of the kingdom of God, calling people to repentance and faith. His immediate calling of the disciples, who leave their nets without hesitation, highlights the urgency of responding to God’s call. Their prompt obedience exemplifies living with purpose and trust in God’s plan. These readings connect through themes of repentance, urgency, and detachment. Jonah’s mission and the Ninevites’ response show the power of repentance, while Paul’s advice and Jesus’ call emphasize living with an eternal focus. In our daily lives, we are invited to respond to God’s call with urgency, letting go of worldly attachments and embracing a life centered on faith and trust in God’s mercy. Let us live with purpose, trusting in God’s plan and striving to align our lives with His will.