Daily Readings - Sat Apr 05 2025
Jeremiah
18The LORD made it known to me and I knew; then you showed me their deeds.19But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more."20But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.
John
40When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet."41Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"43So there was a division among the people over him.44Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.45The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"46The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!"47The Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived?48Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?49But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."50Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,51"Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?"52They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." [The earliest manuscripts do not include John 7:53-8:11]53[[They went each to his own house,
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on trust, discernment, and the challenges of faith. The first reading from Jeremiah presents the prophet as a figure of meekness and trust in God’s justice. Jeremiah, unaware of the plots against him, places his confidence in the Lord, who judges justly and knows the hearts of all. This passage reminds us that even in the face of adversity, we can rely on God’s wisdom and justice. Jeremiah’s trust is not passive; it is rooted in his deep relationship with God, who reveals truth and guides him through trials.
The Gospel reading from John shifts our focus to the growing tension surrounding Jesus. After Jesus speaks to the crowd, some recognize him as the Prophet or even the Messiah, while others question his origins, citing Scripture. This division leads to a heated debate among the Pharisees and the guards, who are struck by the power of Jesus’ words. Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had secretly approached Jesus earlier, defends the need for fair judgment, but his colleagues dismiss him, revealing their own prejudices. This passage highlights the importance of discernment and open-hearted listening in our encounter with God’s truth.
Both readings call us to trust in God’s plan and to approach life with discerning hearts. Like Jeremiah, we are invited to place our confidence in the Lord, even when we face uncertainty or opposition. Like the crowd in John’s Gospel, we are challenged to move beyond superficial judgments and to seek a deeper understanding of God’s truth. In our daily lives, this means trusting in God’s providence, even when circumstances seem unclear, and being open to the ways in which God speaks to us through others, even if their words challenge our assumptions. Let us strive to live with the humility of Jeremiah and the openness of Nicodemus, allowing God’s truth to guide us on our journey of faith.