Daily Readings - Tue Sep 30 2025
Zechariah
20Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:21And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.22Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.23Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Luke
51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the universal call to seek God and the importance of living as witnesses of His love. In the first reading from Zechariah, we hear a vision of a future where people from all nations and languages will come together to seek the Lord in Jerusalem. This prophecy speaks of a time when God’s presence will unite people across cultures and divisions, reminding us that His plan is one of unity and harmony. The image of ten men clinging to the hem of a Judean man underscores the desire for connection and the recognition that God is with His people.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a moment of tension as Jesus and His disciples encounter rejection in a Samaritan village. The disciples, feeling slighted, want to retaliate with fire from heaven, but Jesus rebukes them, reminding them that He came not to destroy but to save. This passage highlights the contrast between a spirit of vengeance and the mission of mercy that defines Jesus’ work. It also challenges us to examine our own reactions to rejection and whether they align with the spirit of love and forgiveness that Christ embodies.
These readings remind us that our faith is not just a personal relationship with God but also a call to live in a way that reflects His universal love. Like the people in Zechariah’s vision, we are called to seek God together, even in the face of differences. And like Jesus, we are invited to respond to rejection and hostility not with anger but with compassion and a commitment to saving lives. As we go about our daily lives, may we strive to be instruments of unity and reconciliation, living as witnesses to the God who is with us and who calls us to seek Him together.