Daily Readings - Mon Sep 10 2018
1 Corinthians
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife.2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?3Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.6Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
Luke
6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the balance between justice and mercy, and how we, as followers of Christ, are called to live with integrity and compassion. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a serious moral issue in the Corinthian community—a case of grave immorality that has gone unchecked. He calls the community to act decisively, not out of malice or self-righteousness, but to preserve the holiness and purity of the Body of Christ. Paul reminds us that sin can have a corrosive effect on the entire community, much like leaven spreads through dough. He urges them to remove the "old leaven" of malice and wickedness and to live as the "new bread" of sincerity and truth, for Christ has already been sacrificed as our Passover.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a scene where Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. On the Sabbath, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand, challenging the rigid legalism of those who would rather debate the law than show compassion. Jesus’ question—“Is it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath?”—exposes the hardness of their hearts. While the Pharisees are consumed by anger and plotting against him, Jesus simply acts with love and restores the man’s hand. This act of healing is not just a miracle; it is a revelation of God’s true nature: merciful, compassionate, and always seeking the good of his children.
Both readings remind us that our faith is not just about rules or rituals but about living in a way that reflects God’s love and justice. In our daily lives, we are called to examine our own hearts and actions. Are we allowing sin or complacency to take root in our lives or in our communities? Are we more focused on judgment than on mercy, more on appearances than on true love? Let us strive to be people of integrity and compassion, purging the "old leaven" of selfishness and hypocrisy, and living instead as the "unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." May we, like Christ, always choose to do good, even when it challenges the status quo, and may we bring healing and hope to a world in need.