Daily Readings - Sat Feb 17 2018

First Reading - Isaiah 58.9b-14

⁹Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;¹⁰And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:¹¹And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.¹²And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.¹³If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:¹⁴Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Gospel - Luke 5.27-32

Luke

Chapter 5

²⁷And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.²⁸And he left all, rose up, and followed him.²⁹And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.³⁰But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?³¹And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.³²I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful calls to live out our faith in action. The first reading from Isaiah challenges us to move beyond superficial religious practices and instead embrace a life of justice and compassion. The prophet condemns empty fasting and points to the true fast: setting free the oppressed, feeding the hungry, and caring for the afflicted. He promises that when we live in such a way, our light will shine in darkness, and we will find true rest and renewal in God. The passage also emphasizes the importance of keeping the Sabbath as a day of delight and glorifying God by not pursuing our own interests. In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates this very way of living. He calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow him, and Levi responds by leaving everything behind. Jesus then shares a meal with Levi and other tax collectors and sinners, prompting criticism from the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus defends his actions by saying that he has come not for the righteous but for sinners, to call them to repentance. This exchange highlights Jesus’ mission to reach out to those on the margins and to bring healing and forgiveness to those who recognize their need for it. These readings are deeply connected. Isaiah’s call to justice and compassion is fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry of mercy and inclusion. Both readings remind us that our faith must be lived out in tangible ways. We are called to move beyond mere religious rituals and instead to love and serve others, especially those who are marginalized or struggling. In our daily lives, this means being attentive to the needs of those around us, advocating for justice, and reaching out with compassion, just as Jesus did. The moral lesson is clear: our faith is not just about what we believe but about how we live. By living in this way, we not only reflect God’s love but also find true fulfillment and joy.