Daily Readings - Wed Jan 30 2019
Hebrews
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:16"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."17Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Mark
1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge.2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables12so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?14The farmer sows the word.15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound truths about God’s plan and our response to it. The letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice over the repeated offerings of the old covenant. While priests once offered sacrifices daily, unable to eradicate sin, Christ’s single sacrifice achieves what the old covenant could not, offering redemption once and for all. This passage highlights the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, where God’s laws are inscribed on hearts and minds, and sins are no longer remembered. The Gospel, on the other hand, presents Jesus’ parable of the sower, illustrating how the word of God is received in different hearts. The parable teaches us about the varying responses to God’s word, from rejection by the hardened heart to abundant fruit in the fertile heart.
The context of these readings is deeply rooted in the theological and pastoral concerns of their audiences. Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians, reassuring them of the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice and the new covenant’s efficacy. Mark’s parable reflects Jesus’ concern for His disciples’ understanding and the broader crowd’s spiritual state, emphasizing the importance of receptive hearts. Together, these readings connect by highlighting God’s ultimate plan: Christ’s sacrifice paves the way for the word of God to take root in human hearts, leading to a fruitful life.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to examine how we receive God’s word. Do we let it take root, or do we allow the pressures of life to choke it out? The moral lesson here is clear: true faith is not superficial but deeply rooted, enduring through trials and producing abundant fruit. Just as Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient, our response must be wholehearted, nurturing fertile soil where God’s word can flourish. Let us strive to be the good soil, allowing God’s word to transform us and bear fruit in our lives.