Daily Readings - Sun Mar 11 2018
First Reading - 2 Chronicles 36.14-17a, 19-23
2 Chronicles
Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Second Reading - Ephesians 2.4-10
Ephesians
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Gospel - John 3.14-21
John
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of redemption, grace, and the transformative power of faith. In the first reading from 2 Chronicles, we witness the consequences of Israel’s rebellion against God. Despite their repeated infidelity, God’s mercy ultimately prevails, as He stirs the heart of Cyrus, the Persian king, to allow the exiles to return and rebuild the Temple. This passage reminds us that even in the midst of judgment, God’s love and forgiveness are always at work. The second reading from Ephesians deepens this theme, emphasizing that our salvation is entirely a gift of God’s grace. We are saved not by our own efforts but through faith, and we are called to live out this gift in good works that reflect God’s love. The Gospel from John unfolds the ultimate expression of this love: God’s gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert to save the people, Jesus is lifted up on the cross to bring eternal life to all who believe.
These readings are deeply interconnected. The story of Israel’s exile and restoration in 2 Chronicles foreshadows the universal salvation offered through Christ. The Ephesians passage explains the mystery of how this salvation is accomplished—through grace and faith—and the Gospel reveals the heart of this mystery: God’s boundless love for the world. Together, they remind us that our relationship with God is rooted in His initiative, not our own. While we may stumble into darkness, God continually offers us the light of His Son, inviting us to turn toward Him.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to trust in God’s mercy and to live as people transformed by His grace. Let us not rely on our own strength or works to earn God’s favor, for salvation is a gift freely given. Instead, let us embrace the light of Christ, allowing His love to guide us in all we do. May we, like the exiles of old, return to the Lord with humble hearts, and may we, like the Ephesians, walk in the good works prepared for us by God. Above all, let us remember that God so loved the world that He gave us His Son—may we respond to this love by believing in Him and living in the light.