Daily Readings - Tue Feb 09 2021
Genesis
20And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens."21So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.22And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.24And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.28And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."29And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.4These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
Mark
1Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,2they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders,4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. )5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?"6And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;7in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."9And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!10For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'11But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God)--12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."
Sermon
The first reading from Genesis describes the creation of the world, highlighting God’s deliberate and orderly craftsmanship. We hear how God brought forth life in the waters, in the air, and on the land, culminating in the creation of humanity in his own image and likeness. The passage emphasizes God’s satisfaction with his work, as he declares everything “very good.” The seventh day is then set apart as a day of rest, a sacred pause to honor the completion of creation. This reading invites us to reflect on the beauty and dignity of God’s creation, as well as our role as stewards of the earth and all its creatures.
The Gospel reading from Mark presents a stark contrast to the harmony of creation described in Genesis. Here, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes, who are more concerned with human traditions, such as ritual washings, than with the true spirit of God’s law. Jesus accuses them of hypocrisy, quoting Isaiah to emphasize that their worship is empty when their hearts are far from God. He criticizes their tendency to prioritize human traditions over God’s commandments, even using the example of how they evade caring for their parents by invoking religious obligations. This reading challenges us to examine whether our actions and traditions align with God’s will or merely serve our own interests.
Together, these readings remind us that our relationship with God and with others must be rooted in authenticity and love. While the creation story shows us the goodness of God’s design, the Gospel warns us against allowing human inventions to overshadow the heart of God’s law. In our daily lives, we are called to live in harmony with creation, to respect the dignity of all beings, and to ensure that our spiritual practices lead us closer to God, not further away. Let us ask ourselves: Are we honoring God with our lips but keeping our hearts far from him? Do our traditions and habits reflect a genuine love for God and for others? May we strive to live in a way that truly reflects the image and likeness of God, who created us and calls us to rest in him.