Daily Readings - Fri Jan 17 2025
Hebrews
1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.4For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.5And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Mark
1And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of faith and the promise of God’s rest. In the first reading from Hebrews, we are reminded that God’s rest is not merely a physical reprieve but a spiritual state of trust and surrender. The author warns us not to fall into the same disbelief as those who heard God’s Word but did not act on it. True faith requires us to trust in God’s promises, even when the journey seems uncertain. The passage emphasizes that God’s works are complete, and His rest is available to those who believe.
In the Gospel, Mark presents a vivid scene of Jesus healing a paralytic man. The faith of the man’s friends, who went to great lengths to bring him to Jesus, is what moves the Lord to act. Jesus first forgives the man’s sins, addressing the deeper spiritual paralysis before healing his physical condition. This miracle not only demonstrates Jesus’ authority to forgive sins but also reveals that true healing comes from trusting in God’s mercy and power. The scribes’ skepticism contrasts sharply with the faith of the paralytic and his friends, reminding us that faith is not about understanding everything but about surrendering to God’s will.
These readings call us to examine our own faith. Do we, like the paralytic’s friends, trust God enough to bring our struggles and sins to Him? Or do we, like the scribes, allow doubt and fear to harden our hearts? The promise of God’s rest is not just a future hope but a present reality for those who trust in Him. Let us strive to live with the kind of active, bold faith that leads us to surrender our lives to God, knowing that He is always at work in us, even when we cannot see it.