Daily Readings - Wed Feb 20 2019

⁶And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:⁷And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.⁸Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;⁹But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.¹⁰And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;¹¹And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.¹²And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.¹³And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.²⁰And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.²¹And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.²²While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Mark

Chapter 8

²²And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.²³And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.²⁴And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.²⁵After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.²⁶And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of trust, patience, and the transformative power of God’s grace. In the first reading from Genesis, Noah’s story unfolds as he waits for the floodwaters to recede. Sending out the raven and then the dove, Noah demonstrates his trust in God’s promise of renewal. The dove’s return with an olive branch signals hope and new life, while Noah’s act of building an altar expresses gratitude and a desire to reconnect with God. This passage reminds us that even in uncertain times, God’s plan unfolds in His own time, and our response should be one of faith and thanksgiving. In the Gospel, Mark presents a unique healing story where Jesus restores a blind man’s sight in stages. The blind man first sees people as walking trees, and only after a second touch does he see clearly. This narrative suggests that spiritual sight, like physical sight, may come gradually. The man’s journey from darkness to light mirrors our own journey of faith, where God reveals truth step by step. Jesus’ instruction to the man to tell no one about the healing adds another layer, reminding us that true faith often begins in quiet, personal encounters with God before it is shared with others. These readings call us to embrace patience and trust in God’s timing. Like Noah, we may face periods of waiting, unsure of what lies ahead, but we can trust that God is working to bring new life. Like the blind man, we may experience moments of partial understanding, but with persistence and openness, God will deepen our vision. Let us allow these stories to inspire us to trust in God’s plan, to wait with hope, and to seek His transformative grace in our lives.