Daily Readings - Sun Feb 26 2023
Genesis
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.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."18Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."25And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"2And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,3but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"4But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Romans
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--17If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.19For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Matthew
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.3And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."4But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"5Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple6and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,'and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"7Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.9And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."10Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Sermon
The readings today take us on a journey from the origins of humanity to the triumph of grace over sin. In the first reading, we hear the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where the serpent’s temptation leads them to disobey God’s command. This act of disobedience introduces sin and death into the world, marking a turning point in human history. The second reading from Romans connects this event to the coming of Christ, who through his obedience undoes the sin of Adam. Paul emphasizes that just as sin entered the world through one man, so too does salvation come through the one man, Jesus Christ. Finally, in the Gospel, we see Jesus facing temptation in the desert, but unlike Adam and Eve, he resists the devil’s offers, demonstrating his fidelity to God’s will.
These readings are deeply interconnected. The story of Adam and Eve sets the stage for understanding the nature of sin and its consequences. The Romans passage explains how Christ’s obedience reverses the effects of Adam’s disobedience, offering us justification and life. The Gospel then shows us how Jesus, as the “new Adam,” resists temptation and remains faithful, modeling for us how to live in accordance with God’s will. Together, these readings remind us that sin is not the end of the story; through Christ, we have been given the gift of grace and the power to overcome temptation.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our own struggles with sin and temptation. Like Adam and Eve, we are often lured by promises of power or pleasure that seem appealing but lead us away from God. Like Jesus in the desert, we are called to resist such temptations by trusting in God’s providence and staying rooted in his word. The moral lesson here is clear: sin may have entered the world through Adam, but through Christ, we have been given the grace to live as children of God. Let us turn to him in prayer, seek strength in his word, and strive to live lives of obedience and trust in his plan.