Daily Readings - Mon Jan 23 2023
Hebrews
15Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.24For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Mark
22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."23And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.27But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.28"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"--30for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound reflections on God's power and redemption. The first reading from Hebrews presents Jesus as the mediator of the new covenant, whose singular sacrifice once and for all redeems our transgressions. This text emphasizes that Jesus's death was sufficient to destroy sin, contrasting it with the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant. It invites us to trust in the completeness of Christ's work, assuring us that His sacrifice was enough for our salvation.
The Gospel from Mark shifts our focus to Jesus's ministry, where He faces accusations from the scribes who attribute His power to Beelzebub. Jesus counters this by illustrating the illogic of a divided kingdom and introduces the metaphor of binding the strong man, symbolizing His triumph over Satan. Crucially, He warns against blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, highlighting the gravity of rejecting God's work in our lives. This serves as a reminder to remain open to the Holy Spirit's guidance and to avoid a hardened heart that refuses God's truth.
Together, these readings connect through their themes of redemption and the consequences of rejection. Hebrews underscores the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, while Mark warns against the spiritual peril of rejecting God's work. In our daily lives, this calls us to trust in God's plan and to remain attentive to the Holy Spirit's presence. Let us approach life with humility, embracing God's grace and avoiding the temptation to dismiss His active role in our world. May we find hope in Christ's sacrifice and remain vigilant against the dangers of a spirit that resists God's love.