Daily Readings - Tue Sep 06 2022

¹When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?²Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?³Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!⁴So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?⁵I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers,⁶but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?⁷To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?⁸But you yourselves wrong and defraud--even your own brothers!⁹Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,¹⁰nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.¹¹And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Luke

Chapter 6

¹²In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.¹³And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:¹⁴Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,¹⁵and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,¹⁶and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.¹⁷And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,¹⁸who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.¹⁹And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound themes that guide us in our faith journey. The first reading from 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 addresses the importance of resolving disputes within the Christian community, urging believers to seek judgment from the saints rather than secular courts. Paul reminds the Corinthians that their new identity in Christ calls them to live a life of holiness, free from the sins of the past. The Gospel from Luke 6:12-19 presents Jesus prayerfully selecting His twelve apostles, embodying His mission to form a community of disciples. He then heals the multitude, demonstrating His divine power and compassion. Both readings emphasize the significance of community and living according to God's will. In Corinthians, Paul challenges the church to handle conflicts with love and wisdom, reflecting their identity as children of God. In Luke, Jesus' selection of the apostles and His healing ministry illustrate the heart of His mission: forming a community that serves and heals. These passages remind us that our faith is not individualistic but communal, requiring us to live in harmony and service to others. Applying these teachings to our daily lives, we are called to approach disputes with grace and seek resolution within our faith community. We should strive to be like Jesus, reaching out with compassion and healing to those around us. The moral reflection here is clear: our identity in Christ compels us to live as children of light, reflecting His holiness and love in all we do. May we embrace this call, living as a community that heals and serves, just as Jesus did.