Daily Readings - Sun Mar 10 2024

¹⁴All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the LORD that he had made holy in Jerusalem.¹⁵The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.¹⁶But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.¹⁷Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand.¹⁹And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels.²⁰He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia,²¹to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.²²Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:²³"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.'"

Ephesians

Chapter 2

⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast.¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

John

Chapter 3

¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.¹⁶"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.¹⁹And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we journey through themes of sin, redemption, and the boundless love of God. The first reading from 2 Chronicles recounts the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites, highlighting their disregard for God’s prophets and the subsequent consequences. Yet, it also offers hope through Cyrus, who allows the Israelites to return and rebuild the Temple, illustrating God’s mercy and desire for reconciliation. The second reading from Ephesians emphasizes salvation by grace through faith, not works, underscoring that our redemption is a gift from God. The Gospel from John, with its iconic verse, John 3:16, proclaims God’s love in giving His Son for the world’s salvation, contrasting light and darkness and the choice to believe in Jesus for eternal life. These readings, though from different times and contexts, weave together a narrative of human sin and God’s redemptive plan. The fall of Jerusalem serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, while the exile and return symbolize the cycle of sin, punishment, and redemption. Ephesians bridges this with the assurance that salvation is not earned but freely given by God’s grace. The Gospel then invites us to embrace this grace through faith in Jesus, who is the light in a world often shrouded in darkness. In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on our relationship with God. They remind us that our actions have consequences, but more importantly, that God’s love and mercy are always available. We are encouraged to trust in God’s grace and to live as children of light, choosing truth and goodness. As we navigate life’s challenges, let us remember that our salvation is a gift, and our response should be lives of gratitude and faith, walking in the good works prepared for us by God. Let us embrace the light of Christ, allowing His love to transform us and guide us in our journey toward eternal life.