Daily Readings - Fri Apr 08 2022
Jeremiah
7O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.10For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."11But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.12O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.13Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
John
31The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.32Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?"33The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God."34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'?35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be broken--36do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;38but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."39Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained.41And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true."42And many believed in him there.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives of faith, persecution, and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Jeremiah portrays the prophet as a man deeply afflicted by the mockery and persecution of those around him. Despite his suffering, Jeremiah clings to his faith in God, acknowledging that the Lord is his strength and that those who persecute him will ultimately fall. His cry to God is one of trust, even in the midst of great trial. In the Gospel, we see Jesus facing similar opposition. The Pharisees, unable to accept His divine claims, seek to stone Him for blasphemy. Yet Jesus stands firm, pointing to His works as evidence of His union with the Father. He reminds them that the Father’s presence in Him is the source of His authority and power.
Both readings highlight the tension between standing up for the truth and facing opposition. Jeremiah and Jesus are figures who embody the cost of proclaiming God’s message in a world that often resists it. For Jeremiah, this means enduring mockery and betrayal, while for Jesus, it means confronting the Pharisees’ refusal to accept His divine identity. Yet in both cases, we see a deep trust in God’s plan and a refusal to back down from their mission. This reminds us that living out our faith may not always be easy, but it is in these moments of challenge that our reliance on God is most evident.
As we reflect on these readings, let us consider how they apply to our own lives. How often do we face situations where standing up for what is right or living according to God’s truth leads to discomfort or even opposition? Like Jeremiah and Jesus, we are called to trust in God’s presence and providence, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. Let us pray for the courage to remain faithful, even in the face of adversity, and to remember that God is always with us, strengthening us to endure and to witness to His love.