Daily Readings - Tue Sep 03 2024
1 Corinthians
10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.11For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.13And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.16"For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
Luke
31And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath,32and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.33And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,34"Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God."35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.36And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"37And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound truths about the nature of God's wisdom and the authority of Jesus Christ. The First Reading from 1 Corinthians reminds us that spiritual truths are not discerned through human wisdom but through the Holy Spirit. Paul emphasizes that the Spirit of God reveals the depths of divine wisdom, which the "natural man" cannot comprehend. This passage invites us to humbly acknowledge our limitations and to rely on the Spirit for understanding the things of God.
The Gospel from Luke illustrates this spiritual truth in action. Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, teaches with authority and casts out an unclean demon. The people are astonished not only by His teaching but by the power with which He commands the evil spirit to depart. This scene reveals the connection between spiritual authority and the work of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus relied on the Spirit to fulfill His mission, we too are called to live in the power of the Spirit, trusting in God's wisdom and authority to guide us in our own struggles and challenges.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Do we seek to understand God's will through the lens of the Holy Spirit, or do we rely solely on our own reasoning? In a world filled with confusion and darkness, we are reminded that true wisdom and authority come from God. May we, like Jesus, live in the power of the Spirit, trusting in His guidance and allowing Him to transform our lives and our world. Let us pray for the grace to discern God's will and to live as spiritual beings, not merely as "natural men," so that we may bear witness to the wisdom and authority of Christ in all we do.