Daily Readings - Wed Jan 24 2018
First Reading - 2 Samuel 7.1-17
2 Samuel
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Gospel - Mark 4.1-20
Mark
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?The sower soweth the word.And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine communication. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts Nathan’s prophetic message to King David, where God reveals that He will establish David’s house, not through David building a temple, but through a lasting dynasty. This promise underscores God’s sovereign plan and trust in David’s leadership. The Gospel reading from Mark presents Jesus teaching the parable of the sower, illustrating how people receive God’s Word. Jesus explains that the seed’s growth depends on the soil’s condition, symbolizing the varying responses to His message.
The context of these readings reveals significant themes. In 2 Samuel, Nathan’s prophecy occurs after David has secured his kingdom, highlighting God’s faithfulness and the establishment of a covenant. For Mark, Jesus uses the parable to guide His disciples in understanding the spiritual receptivity of their audience, emphasizing the importance of fertile hearts.
These readings connect through the theme of divine initiative and human response. God’s promise to David and the parable of the sower both emphasize trust and receptivity. Just as David trusted God’s plan, we must cultivate hearts that receive God’s Word with openness and faith.
In our daily lives, we are called to be the good soil, nurturing God’s Word and allowing it to bear fruit. This requires us to examine our hearts, ensuring they are fertile ground for spiritual growth. The moral lesson here is the importance of faithfulness and openness to God’s message, allowing it to transform us and produce abundant fruit in our lives.