Daily Readings - Thu Jan 10 2019
1 John
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Luke
14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.15He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound connection between love, faith, and our mission as followers of Christ. In the first reading from 1 John, we are reminded that love is not just a feeling but a commitment to live according to God’s commandments. John emphasizes that true love for God cannot exist without love for our neighbor. If we claim to love God, whom we cannot see, we must also love those around us, whom we can see. This love is not optional; it is a fundamental expression of our faith and a sign that we are born of God. John also assures us that living out God’s commandments is not a burden but a source of strength, for “all that is born of God overcomes the world.”
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring liberation and hope to all people. Jesus, filled with the Spirit, proclaims His mission to preach to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, and bring freedom to those oppressed. This passage from Isaiah is not just a prophecy; it is a blueprint for how Jesus lived His life and how He calls us to live ours. By identifying Himself as the one anointed by the Spirit, Jesus sets the tone for a ministry rooted in compassion, justice, and mercy. His words in the synagogue at Nazareth are a call to action for us today: to see ourselves as part of this mission and to live in a way that reflects God’s love for the world.
These readings challenge us to examine how we are living out our faith in our daily lives. Are we loving God and our neighbors as John encourages? Are we actively working to bring hope and healing to those around us, as Jesus did? Let us remember that our faith is not just about what we believe but about how we act. By keeping God’s commandments and living with compassion, we overcome the challenges of the world and become instruments of God’s love. May we, like Jesus, allow the Spirit to guide us in fulfilling our mission to serve and love others, bringing light and hope to a world in need.