Daily Readings - Tue Sep 11 2018

¹If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?³Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!⁴Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!⁵I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?⁶But instead, one brother goes to law against another--and this in front of unbelievers!⁷The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?⁸Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.⁹Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.¹¹And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Luke

Chapter 6

¹²One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.¹³When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:¹⁴Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,¹⁵Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,¹⁶Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.¹⁷He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon,¹⁸who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured,¹⁹and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are reminded of the importance of living as children of light and the transformative power of God’s grace in our lives. The first reading from 1 Corinthians challenges us to reflect on how we handle conflicts and disputes. Paul is distressed that the Corinthians are taking their disagreements to secular courts rather than resolving them within the community of faith. He reminds them that as believers, we are called to live according to a higher standard, one that reflects the wisdom and justice of God. Paul also lists various vices that exclude people from the kingdom of God, but he quickly adds that some of the Corinthians once lived in such ways—until they were washed clean, sanctified, and justified in Christ. This is a powerful reminder that our past does not define us; it is through Christ that we are made new. The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus’ ministry. After a night of prayer, Jesus selects the Twelve Apostles, entrusting them with a special mission. This moment highlights the importance of prayer in discerning God’s will and the significance of community in carrying out God’s work. When Jesus descends to the crowd, he heals the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. The people are drawn to him because they sense the power of God at work in him. This scene invites us to reflect on our own relationship with Jesus. Do we turn to him in times of need? Do we trust in his power to heal and transform us? Both readings call us to live as people of faith and integrity. In our daily lives, we are to resolve conflicts in a way that reflects the love and justice of God. We are to trust in his power to transform us and to use us for his purposes. Let us ask ourselves: Are we living as children of light, or are we still walking in darkness? Do we turn to God in prayer when faced with decisions or challenges? May we, like the Corinthians, allow the grace of God to transform us, and may we, like the apostles, be willing to follow Jesus wherever he leads.