Daily Readings - Sun Sep 11 2022
Exodus
7And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.8They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"9And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."11But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"14And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
1 Timothy
12I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,13though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.17To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luke
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."3So he told them this parable:4"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.8"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of sin, mercy, and the boundless love of God. In the first reading from Exodus, we see the Israelites turning away from God and worshipping a golden calf, an act of rebellion that provokes God’s anger. Yet, Moses intercedes for his people, reminding God of his promises to their ancestors and pleading for mercy. This passage highlights the tension between sin and forgiveness, showing that even in our failures, God’s faithfulness endures. The second reading from 1 Timothy offers a personal testimony of sin and redemption. Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, humbly acknowledges his past sins but rejoices in the mercy he has received through Christ. His words remind us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, and that Christ came specifically to save sinners.
The Gospel from Luke presents two parables that further illuminate the heart of God. The parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin reveal a God who actively seeks out the lost and rejoices when they are found. These stories are not just about sinners being forgiven; they are about the relentless love of a God who leaves no one behind. The Pharisees and scribes in the Gospel criticized Jesus for dining with sinners, but Jesus’ actions embody the very essence of his mission: to seek and save the lost. Together, these readings remind us that sin is not the end of the story. God’s mercy is always available, and his love is always seeking to restore us.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to humility and openness to God’s grace. We are all sinners in need of mercy, and we are all called to extend that same mercy to others. Let us not be like the Pharisees, judging those who are struggling, but rather like the shepherd and the woman in the parables, who rejoice in the recovery of what was lost. May we approach life with the same patience and compassion that God shows us, trusting in his love and seeking to bring others closer to him.