Daily Readings - Fri Nov 20 2020
Revelation
8And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.9And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.10And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.11And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Luke
45And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;46Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.47And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,48And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.
Sermon
The readings today present us with powerful images of divine truth and the challenges of living out that truth in the world. In the first reading from Revelation, John is given a scroll by an angel and told to eat it. The scroll is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. This symbolizes the Word of God, which brings joy and nourishment to our spirits but also challenges us to confront the difficulties and sins of the world. John’s act of eating the scroll prepares him to prophesy again, emphasizing the call to share God’s message even when it is hard.
In the Gospel, Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who are exploiting it for profit. He reminds them that the temple is meant to be a house of prayer, not a place of greed. This action angers the religious leaders, who begin to plot against him. Yet, despite the growing opposition, Jesus continues to teach the people, who listen to him with great attention. This passage shows Jesus’ authority and his commitment to purifying the places where God is worshiped, even in the face of resistance.
Both readings remind us that following God’s will often involves tension and sacrifice. The sweetness of God’s Word must be balanced with the bitterness of confronting sin and injustice. Like John, we are called to receive God’s truth deeply and share it with others, even when it is uncomfortable. Like Jesus, we are called to stand firm in our faith, even when it leads to opposition. In our daily lives, this means being honest about our own sins, standing up for what is right, and trusting that God’s truth will ultimately prevail. Let us ask for the courage to embrace both the sweetness and the bitterness of living as disciples of Christ.