Daily Readings - Wed Oct 11 2017
Jonah
1But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.2He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.3Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."4But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"5Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.6Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."9But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."10But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.11But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Luke
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."2He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.3Give us each day our daily bread.4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. '"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound lessons on mercy, prayer, and trust in God's plan. The Book of Jonah presents a prophet grappling with God's compassion, while the Gospel of Luke offers the Lord's Prayer, a timeless guide to deepening our relationship with the Father.
Jonah's story unfolds as he struggles with God's decision to spare Nineveh. Despite Jonah's anger and sense of injustice, God uses a simple plant and a worm to illustrate His boundless mercy. This teaches Jonah—and us—that God's love extends far beyond our limited understanding, embracing even those we might deem unworthy. Meanwhile, in Luke, Jesus teaches the disciples to pray with humility and trust, emphasizing themes of forgiveness and reliance on God's providence.
These readings connect through their emphasis on mercy and prayer. Jonah's experience shows that God's ways are not our ways, urging us to embrace His compassion. The Lord's Prayer guides us to seek God's will and forgive others, mirroring the mercy Jonah was taught. In our daily lives, we can apply these lessons by practicing forgiveness and trusting in God's plan, even when it challenges our expectations. Let us reflect on how we can grow in mercy and deepen our prayer life, trusting that God's love and wisdom guide us always.