Daily Readings - Thu Mar 27 2025
Jeremiah
23But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'24But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.25From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day.26Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.27"So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you.28And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.
Luke
14Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled.15But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,"16while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.17But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.18And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.19And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;22but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound reflections on the human condition and our relationship with God. The first reading from Jeremiah paints a picture of a people who have turned away from God’s commandments, choosing instead to follow their own desires. Despite God’s repeated calls to return, they stiffen their necks and refuse to listen. This passage serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of heeding God’s voice in our lives.
In the Gospel, Jesus confronts a different kind of resistance. After healing a mute man possessed by a demon, some onlookers accuse Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus responds by pointing out the absurdity of this claim, noting that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He then challenges His listeners to recognize the true source of His power—the finger of God—and warns them that failure to align themselves with God’s will is to oppose it.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own willingness to listen to God and to discern the source of true power in our lives. Like the Israelites in Jeremiah’s time, we often find ourselves tempted to follow our own desires rather than God’s will. And like the crowd in Luke’s Gospel, we may doubt the authenticity of God’s work in our midst. Yet, Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of God is not about division or opposition but about unity and alignment with His will.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I truly listening to God’s voice, or am I allowing my own desires to lead me astray? Am I open to the ways in which God is working in my life and in the world around me? The moral lesson here is clear: To be with God is to be aligned with His will, and to reject His will is to scatter and divide. May we strive to be people who listen, who discern, and who actively seek to gather with Christ, rather than scatter.