Daily Readings - Mon Jan 27 2020
2 Samuel
1Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.2Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.3So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.6And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.7Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.10And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.
Mark
22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.27No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on leadership, faith, and the Holy Spirit. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts David's anointing as king over Israel, highlighting his victories and God's steadfast presence. The second reading from Mark's Gospel presents Jesus facing accusations from scribes who attribute His miracles to Beelzebub, to which Jesus responds with a parable about the impossibility of a divided kingdom and the gravity of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Both readings share a common theme of leadership amidst opposition. David, anointed by God, faces the Jebusites, while Jesus confronts the scribes' skepticism. These stories remind us that true leadership is not without challenge but is sustained by divine support. The context of 2 Samuel is the transition from Saul's reign to David's, marking a new era for Israel. In Mark, the context is the growing opposition to Jesus, reflecting the tensions between religious authorities and His divine mission.
Applying these readings to our lives, we are called to trust in God's plan, especially when facing adversity. Like David, we must rely on faith to overcome obstacles. Similarly, Jesus' words caution us against dismissing the Holy Spirit's work, urging us to discern God's presence in our lives. The moral lesson here is the importance of faith and the reverence due to the Holy Spirit. As we navigate our own challenges, may we trust in God's guidance and remain attentive to the Spirit's voice, avoiding the temptation to doubt or reject divine intervention.