Daily Readings - Wed Oct 04 2017
Nehemiah
1In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before;2so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid,3but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"4The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven,5and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."6Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.7I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
Luke
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."59He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."61Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family."62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on courage, trust, and commitment. In the first reading, Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the Persian king, finds himself in a moment of great opportunity. Seeing the sadness in Nehemiah’s heart, the king asks him what troubles him. Nehemiah, with great courage, shares his sorrow over the desolation of Jerusalem and its burned gates. Trusting in God’s providence, he asks the king for permission to return to Judea to rebuild the city. The king, moved by Nehemiah’s sincerity and the favor of God, grants his request. This passage reminds us that even in the face of great challenges, trusting in God’s plan and acting with courage can lead to remarkable outcomes.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples about the cost of following him. When someone offers to follow Jesus wherever he goes, Jesus responds by highlighting the sacrifices involved. He then addresses two other would-be followers, emphasizing that true discipleship requires prioritizing the kingdom of God above all else. These exchanges remind us that following Christ is not a part-time commitment but a way of life that demands our full dedication. Jesus’ words challenge us to examine our own priorities and to ensure that we are not letting worldly concerns distract us from our ultimate goal of living for God.
Both readings call us to reflect on our own commitment to God and to the mission He has entrusted to us. Like Nehemiah, we are called to trust in God’s providence and to act courageously, even when the task seems daunting. Like the disciples, we are reminded that following Christ requires sacrifice and a willingness to put God first in all aspects of our lives. As we go about our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I trusting in God’s plan? Am I putting God first, even when it is difficult? May we, like Nehemiah and the disciples, embrace the challenges of living out our faith with courage, trust, and unwavering commitment.