Daily Readings - Sat Jan 27 2024
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 sin, repentance, and faith. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David and the prophet Nathan. David, who had risen to great heights as king of Israel, fell deeply into sin by taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and arranging Uriah’s death. Nathan confronts David with a parable about a wealthy man who takes a poor man’s only sheep. Recognizing himself in the story, David confesses his sin, and Nathan assures him of God’s forgiveness, though consequences remain. This passage reminds us that sin has repercussions, but God’s mercy is always available to those who repent.
The Gospel from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat when a fierce storm arises, threatening to capsize them. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples panic and wake him, crying out for help. Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea, restoring calm. He then asks them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” This story highlights Jesus’ divine power over creation and invites us to trust in God’s providence, even in the midst of life’s storms.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. Like David, we all sin and fall short, but we are invited to acknowledge our failures and seek forgiveness. Like the disciples, we often face challenges that test our faith. Yet, in both cases, God’s grace and power are available to us. Let us ask ourselves: Where am I struggling with sin or doubt? How can I deepen my trust in God’s mercy and providence? May we learn to repent with humility and to have faith that God will calm the storms of our lives.