Daily Readings - Fri Feb 17 2023
Genesis
1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
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.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on human ambition and the call to follow Christ. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of the Tower of Babel, where humanity, united in language and purpose, sought to build a tower that would reach the heavens. This story is often seen as a cautionary tale about pride and the dangers of unchecked ambition. The people of Babel were driven by a desire to make a name for themselves and to avoid being scattered across the earth. However, their efforts were thwarted when God confounded their language, scattering them and halting their project. This story reminds us that while human ingenuity and collaboration can achieve great things, they must always be tempered by humility and a recognition of our limitations.
In the Gospel, Mark presents us with a very different kind of challenge. Jesus calls his followers to embrace a life of self-denial and to take up their cross in order to follow him. This is not a call to self-destruction or masochism, but rather an invitation to reorient our lives around the values of the kingdom of God. Jesus warns that those who seek to save their lives on their own terms will ultimately lose them, while those who are willing to lose their lives for his sake and for the sake of the Gospel will find true life. This teaching is both provocative and profound, challenging us to think about what it means to live as disciples of Christ in a world that often values power, status, and comfort above all else.
These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of true fulfillment and the cost of discipleship. While the people of Babel sought to find meaning and security in their own achievements, Jesus calls us to find our true selves in surrendering to God's will. This does not mean that we should abandon our ambitions or contributions to the world, but rather that we should ground them in a deeper sense of purpose and humility. As we go about our daily lives, we are called to examine our priorities and to ask whether we are building our lives on the shifting sands of human pride or on the rock of faith in God. Let us strive to follow Christ with courage and integrity, trusting that in losing ourselves for his sake, we will find the abundant life he promises.