Daily Readings - Wed Feb 08 2023
Genesis
4These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.5When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,6and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground--7then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.9And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.15The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Mark
14And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."16See Footnote17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.18And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)20And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey from the creation story in Genesis to Jesus' teachings in Mark, exploring the nature of sin and purity. Genesis describes the idyllic Garden of Eden, where God places Adam and Eve, warning them against eating from the tree of knowledge. This passage highlights the origin of sin and the choice between obedience and knowledge. Mark's Gospel shifts focus to Jesus' teaching that defilement comes not from external sources but from within. He lists evils such as adulteries and murders, emphasizing that these emerge from the heart.
These readings connect by illustrating that sin is an internal matter. Genesis shows the initial temptation and fall, while Mark underscores that true impurity arises from our thoughts and intentions. Together, they remind us that our spiritual state is determined by our inner world.
In daily life, this teaches us to reflect on our thoughts and motivations. Rather than focusing solely on outward actions, we must cultivate inner purity. The moral lesson is clear: our hearts must be pure, for it is from within that sin emerges. By tending to our inner lives, we align with God's will and live a life of true integrity.