Daily Readings - Sat Jan 29 2022
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 mercy of God. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the prophet Nathan’s confrontation of King David after his sinful actions with Bathsheba. Nathan uses a parable about a wealthy man who takes a poor man’s only sheep to expose David’s injustice and lack of compassion. David, recognizing his own guilt, humbly acknowledges his sin, and Nathan assures him of God’s forgiveness, though consequences remain. This story reminds us that sin has repercussions, but repentance opens the door to mercy.
The Gospel from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, exhausted, rests in the boat while his disciples face a terrifying tempest. When they awaken him in fear, Jesus commands the wind and waves to be still, and a great calm follows. His disciples are left in awe, questioning who this is who can command nature itself. This passage invites us to trust in Jesus’ power and presence in the midst of life’s storms.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. Like David, we all fall short and sin, but through repentance, we can experience God’s forgiveness. Like the disciples, we often find ourselves in turbulent situations, doubting God’s presence. Yet, Jesus reminds us that even in the chaos, He is with us, offering peace and calm. Let us turn to Him in faith, trusting in His power to still the storms of our lives and to forgive our sins. May we, like David, humbly acknowledge our failings and, like the disciples, grow in faith, knowing that God is always near.