Daily Readings - Sat Mar 08 2025
Isaiah
9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,10if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.11And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.12And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.13"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;14then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Luke
27After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me."28And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.29And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.30And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"31And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.32I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we hear powerful messages about living out our faith in ways that transform both ourselves and the world around us. The first reading from Isaiah reminds us that true fasting is not just about abstaining from food but about breaking the chains of oppression, feeding the hungry, and bringing light to those in darkness. The prophet emphasizes that when we pour out our lives in service to others, God’s light will shine through us, and we will find rest and renewal. This passage calls us to move beyond superficial religious practices and to embody our faith in concrete acts of love and justice.
The Gospel from Luke shows us Jesus living out this kind of radical love and compassion. When Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, he doesn’t ask him to change his life first; he invites him to follow, knowing that Levi’s transformation will come through relationship and grace. Jesus then shares a meal with Levi and other sinners, prompting criticism from the Pharisees. Jesus responds by saying that he has come not for the self-righteous but for those who know their need for healing and forgiveness. This encounter challenges us to examine our own attitudes toward others—do we see people through the lens of judgment or through the eyes of mercy?
Together, these readings invite us to reflect on how we live out our faith in daily life. Are we content with going through the motions of religion, or are we willing to take risks to love and serve those on the margins? Like Levi, we are all called to follow Jesus, even in our imperfections, and to trust that his grace will transform us. And like Isaiah, we are called to be repairers of the breaches, bringing healing and hope to a broken world. Let us ask ourselves: How can we pour out our lives for others today? How can we be instruments of God’s light and love in the dark places around us?