Daily Readings - Thu Mar 16 2023
Jeremiah
23But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'24But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.25From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day.26Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.27"So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you.28And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.
Luke
14Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled.15But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,"16while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.17But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.18And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.19And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;22but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our response to His call. The first reading from Jeremiah paints a vivid picture of a people who have turned away from God, refusing to listen to His voice and instead following their own desires. This rejection leads to a breakdown in their relationship with God and a failure to live according to His will. The Gospel, on the other hand, presents Jesus performing a miracle by healing a mute man possessed by a demon. While the crowd is amazed, some question the source of His power, attributing it to Beelzebub rather than recognizing it as a work of God. Jesus responds by emphasizing the unity of God's kingdom and challenging those who doubt Him to consider the truth of His mission.
The context of these readings is deeply rooted in the human struggle to trust and obey God. Jeremiah speaks to a people who have been given every opportunity to follow God but have consistently chosen their own path, leading to division and suffering. In the Gospel, Jesus confronts the skepticism of those who refuse to see the divine authority behind His actions. Both readings highlight the tension between God's invitation to relationship and humanity's tendency to resist or misunderstand it.
These readings call us to examine our own lives. Are we like the Israelites in Jeremiah's time, ignoring God's voice and going our own way? Or are we like the crowd in the Gospel, quick to doubt or misattribute the works of God? Jesus reminds us that His power is not from some false source but from the finger of God, and He calls us to be with Him, not against Him. In our daily lives, this means choosing to listen to God's voice, even when it challenges us, and trusting in His plan, even when we don't fully understand it. The moral lesson here is clear: faith and obedience are essential for living in harmony with God and for allowing His kingdom to take root in our hearts. Let us strive to be people who not only hear God's word but also act on it, living as faithful disciples in a world that often resists His truth.