Daily Readings - Sat Feb 01 2020
2 Samuel
1And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.2The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:3But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.4And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.5And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:6And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.7And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.11Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.12For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.13And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.14Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.15And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.16David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.17And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
Mark
35And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.36And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on faith, sin, and the transformative power of God. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David’s sin and his subsequent confrontation by the prophet Nathan. David, who had risen to great heights as king, fell into grave sin by taking Uriah’s wife and arranging his death. Nathan’s parable of the rich man and the poor man’s sheep cuts through David’s defenses, leading him to acknowledge his sin. The reading reminds us that even the greatest among us can fall, but it is through repentance and acknowledgment of our sin that we find mercy and forgiveness.
The Gospel from Mark offers a starkly different yet complementary narrative. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat in the midst of a violent storm. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples panic, fearing for their lives. Jesus’ calm and authoritative command over the wind and waves reveals his divine power and challenges the disciples’ lack of faith. This story invites us to reflect on our own trust in God during life’s storms. Just as the disciples were afraid despite Jesus’ presence, we often doubt God’s providence in the face of challenges. Yet, Jesus’ words, “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” remind us to turn to him with confidence, knowing he is always with us.
Together, these readings call us to humility and faith. David’s story shows us that acknowledging our sin is the first step toward healing, while the Gospel reminds us that even in the midst of turmoil, God’s power and love are greater than any storm. Let us strive to live with the humility of David, who confessed his sin, and with the faith of those who, though imperfect, trusted in Jesus’ presence in their lives. May we turn to God in repentance and trust, knowing that he is always near to calm the storms and forgive our sins.