Daily Readings - Sun Mar 25 2018
Isaiah
4The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.5The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.6I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.7Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
Philippians
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Mark
1Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.2"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.3The chief priests accused him of many things.4So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."5But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.6Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested.7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.9"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate,10knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.12"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.13"Crucify him!" they shouted.14"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.16The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.17They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.18And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!"19Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.24And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.25It was the third hour when they crucified him.26The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.27They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.28Verse omitted from the New International Version29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,30come down from the cross and save yourself!"31In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!32Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound reflections on humility, trust, and the ultimate sacrifice of love. The first reading from Isaiah presents a figure who, despite suffering, remains steadfast in faith, trusting in God's plan without turning back. This figure, often seen as a prophecy of Jesus, embodies perseverance and unwavering trust in the face of adversity.
The second reading from Philippians delves into the theological significance of Jesus' humility. It explains how Jesus, though divine, emptied Himself to take on human form and obediently accepted death on the cross. This act of humility is met with exaltation, highlighting the transformative power of selfless love and obedience. The Gospel from Mark vividly narrates the crucifixion, fulfilling the prophecy and embodying the humility discussed in Philippians. It shows Jesus enduring betrayal, mockery, and death, yet remaining faithful, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the suffering servant.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to embrace humility and trust in God, even in difficult times. Just as Jesus trusted in His Father's plan, we too can find strength in trusting God's will. The moral lesson here is the value of selfless love and obedience. Let us strive to live out these teachings, embracing humility and trust, allowing Jesus' example to guide us in our own journeys of faith.