Daily Readings - Fri Feb 18 2022

James

14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Mark

34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
1And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Sermon

The readings today remind us that faith is not merely a belief in God, but a way of life that must be expressed through our actions. In the first reading from James, we hear that faith without works is dead. James challenges us to consider whether our faith is merely an intellectual assent or if it is lived out in tangible ways. He uses the example of Abraham, who demonstrated his faith through his willingness to obey God even when it seemed impossible. This emphasizes that true faith is not just about what we say we believe, but about how we live out those beliefs in our daily lives. In the Gospel, Jesus takes this idea a step further by calling us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. He makes it clear that following Him requires sacrifice and a willingness to put His will above our own desires. Jesus warns that if we are ashamed of Him and His teachings, He will be ashamed of us when He comes in glory. This is a powerful reminder that our faith must be visible and courageous, even in the face of adversity. The readings together emphasize that faith is not a passive state, but an active commitment to living according to God's will. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How am I living out my faith? Am I merely going through the motions, or am I truly denying myself and following Christ? Let us strive to be like Abraham, whose faith was brought to fulfillment through his actions. Let us also remember that following Christ requires sacrifice, but it is through that sacrifice that we find true life. May we be bold in living out our faith, trusting that God will bring it to fulfillment in ways we cannot yet see.