Daily Readings - Thu Oct 13 2022

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:²Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;⁸Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;⁹Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:¹⁰That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Luke

Chapter 11

⁴⁷Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.⁴⁸Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.⁴⁹Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:⁵⁰That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;⁵¹From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.⁵²Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.⁵³And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:⁵⁴Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Sermon

In today's readings, we hear from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians and from Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Paul writes about the abundant blessings and spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon us, emphasizing that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. He speaks of our adoption as sons and daughters of God, the redemption we have through Christ’s blood, and the wisdom and understanding God has shared with us. This passage is a beautiful expression of God’s love and plan for us, inviting us to live in gratitude and awe of His grace. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the Pharisees and scholars of the law, criticizing them for honoring the prophets with tombs while rejecting the message of the prophets—and even persecuting those sent by God. Jesus points out the irony that while they build monuments to the prophets their fathers killed, they themselves fail to listen to the prophets and even prevent others from doing so. This passage serves as a warning against hypocrisy and spiritual blindness, urging us to examine how we respond to God’s word and messengers in our own lives. Both readings remind us of the great gift of faith and the responsibility that comes with it. Paul’s letter calls us to live in a way that reflects the holiness and love we’ve received from God, while Jesus’ words challenge us to be honest about our own spiritual state. Let us ask ourselves: Are we truly living as children of God, or are we like the Pharisees, more concerned with appearances than with the truth? May we embrace the wisdom and grace God offers, and may our lives bear fruit in accordance with His will.