Daily Readings - Wed Jan 08 2025
1 John
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Mark
45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.46And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.47And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.48And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,49but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,50for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,52for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound truths about God’s love and our response to it. The first reading from 1 John reminds us that love is not just a feeling but a divine gift that flows from God’s very nature. John writes, “God is love,” and emphasizes that if we abide in love, we abide in God. This love is not merely sentimental but transformative—it casts out fear and unites us with God and one another. The Gospel from Mark complements this message with a dramatic scene of Jesus walking on water. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus retreats to pray, but when he sees his disciples struggling against the wind, he comes to them, calming their fears and demonstrating his divine power.
The context of these readings is crucial. In 1 John, the early Christian community is reminded of the essence of their faith: love. John’s words are a call to live out this love in tangible ways, just as God has loved us. In Mark’s Gospel, the story of Jesus walking on water follows the feeding of the 5,000, highlighting Jesus’ compassion and authority. The disciples, though eyewitnesses to the miracle of the loaves, still struggle with fear and doubt when faced with the storm. This mirrors our own experiences of faith—moments of clarity and trust often give way to uncertainty in the face of challenges.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and with others. John’s emphasis on love challenges us to examine how we treat one another. Do we allow God’s love to flow through us, or do we let fear and self-interest take root? Mark’s story, meanwhile, reminds us that even in the midst of turmoil, Jesus is always present, offering us peace and courage. Like the disciples, we may not always understand God’s ways, but we are called to trust in his providence.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Where is fear holding me back? How can I let God’s perfect love cast out that fear? And how can I share this love with others? The moral lesson is clear: faith and love are inseparable. Just as Jesus calmed the storm, he can calm the storms in our lives. But we must open our hearts to his presence and allow his love to transform us. In doing so, we become instruments of that same love in a world that so desperately needs it.