Daily Readings - Sat Jan 27 2024
2 Samuel
1And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.2The rich man had very many flocks and herds,3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."5Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,6and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."7Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'11Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.12For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'"13David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die15Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick.16David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.17And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
Mark
35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on sin, repentance, and faith. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David and the prophet Nathan. David, who had risen to great heights as king of Israel, fell deeply into sin by taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and arranging Uriah’s death. Nathan confronts David with a parable about a wealthy man who takes a poor man’s only sheep. Recognizing himself in the story, David confesses his sin, and Nathan assures him of God’s forgiveness, though consequences remain. This passage reminds us that sin has repercussions, but God’s mercy is always available to those who repent.
The Gospel from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat when a fierce storm arises, threatening to capsize them. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples panic and wake him, crying out for help. Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea, restoring calm. He then asks them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” This story highlights Jesus’ divine power over creation and invites us to trust in God’s providence, even in the midst of life’s storms.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. Like David, we all sin and fall short, but we are invited to acknowledge our failures and seek forgiveness. Like the disciples, we often face challenges that test our faith. Yet, in both cases, God’s grace and power are available to us. Let us ask ourselves: Where am I struggling with sin or doubt? How can I deepen my trust in God’s mercy and providence? May we learn to repent with humility and to have faith that God will calm the storms of our lives.