Daily Readings - Sat Mar 09 2019
Isaiah
9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.11The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.13"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,14then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Luke
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him,28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true faith and how it should shape our actions and relationships. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a call to live out our faith through acts of justice and compassion. The prophet condemns empty religious practices, such as fasting, when they are not accompanied by care for the marginalized. He emphasizes that true fasting involves loosening the chains of oppression, feeding the hungry, and satisfying the afflicted. Isaiah also reminds us of the importance of observing the Sabbath as a day of rest and glorifying God, not as a day to pursue our own desires. This passage challenges us to examine whether our faith is merely a set of rituals or if it transforms how we live and interact with others.
In the Gospel, Luke presents us with a scene that illustrates Jesus’ mission to reach out to those on the fringes of society. Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, who was considered a sinner by the Pharisees. Instead of shunning Levi, Jesus shares a meal with him and other tax collectors and sinners. When criticized by the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus responds by saying that he has come not for the righteous but for sinners. This encounter reminds us that faith is not about isolating ourselves from those who are imperfect but about embracing them with love and compassion. Jesus’ actions show that true faith is about healing and restoring relationships, not about judging or excluding others.
These readings call us to reflect on how we live out our faith in our daily lives. Are we like the Pharisees, focusing on outward appearances and rules, or are we like Jesus, reaching out to those who need healing and love? Isaiah reminds us that our faith must be expressed in concrete actions that uplift the downtrodden and honor God. Let us ask ourselves: Do we use our resources to feed the hungry and care for the afflicted? Do we observe the Sabbath as a day to glorify God and find rest? And do we, like Jesus, embrace those who feel excluded or marginalized? May these readings inspire us to live out our faith with authenticity, compassion, and a commitment to justice.