Daily Readings - Fri Jan 28 2022
2 Samuel
1In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.2It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.3And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"4So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.5And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."6So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king.9But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.10When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"13And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.15In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."16And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
Mark
26And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."30And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two distinct narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of growth and responsibility. The first reading from 2 Samuel 11 presents King David, a man of great faith, succumbing to temptation and sin. His actions, though hidden, lead to a chain of events that reveal the profound consequences of our choices. This story reminds us that even the righteous can falter, and that sin, if unchecked, can lead to harm and destruction.
The Gospel reading from Mark 4 offers a contrasting perspective with two parables about the kingdom of God. The parable of the growing seed illustrates how growth can occur even without our full understanding, much like how God's kingdom unfolds in ways both seen and unseen. The mustard seed parable highlights the potential for small beginnings to yield significant outcomes, emphasizing faith and trust in God's plan.
Together, these readings invite us to consider the dual nature of growth—both the destructive potential of unchecked sin and the transformative power of faith. Just as David's actions led to negative consequences, our choices can either hinder or enhance our spiritual growth. The parables encourage us to nurture our faith, allowing it to flourish like the mustard seed, providing shelter and sustenance for others.
As we reflect on these readings, let us examine our own lives. Are there areas where we allow sin to take root, leading to harm? Or are we cultivating the soil of our hearts, allowing God's kingdom to grow within us? Let us strive to align our actions with God's will, embracing the growth that leads to life and flourishing, rather than decay and regret.