Daily Readings - Thu Sep 03 2020
1 Corinthians
18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;23And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
Luke
1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.9For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound lessons on wisdom and faith. The First Reading from 1 Corinthians reminds us that true wisdom is not of this world. Paul warns against being deceived by earthly wisdom, which is foolishness to God. He encourages humility, emphasizing that all things belong to us through Christ, but we belong to Him. This teaches us to seek wisdom that comes from God, not from human pride or understanding.
The Gospel from Luke presents a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry. After teaching from Simon’s boat, Jesus guides the fishermen to a miraculous catch, despite their earlier failure. This miracle reveals Jesus’ divine authority and leads Simon to acknowledge his sinfulness. Jesus then calls him to follow, illustrating how trust in God’s plan can lead to abundant blessings and a deeper commitment to His will.
These readings relate by highlighting the importance of trusting God’s wisdom over the world’s. Just as the Corinthians are reminded not to boast in human leaders, the disciples learn to trust Jesus’ guidance. In our lives, we often face choices between worldly wisdom and God’s plan. Like Simon, we may doubt, but obeying God can lead to unexpected blessings. The moral lesson is clear: humility and trust in God’s wisdom are essential. Let us follow Jesus, letting go of our own understanding and embracing His will, even when it seems uncertain.