Daily Readings - Tue Feb 04 2020
2 Samuel
9Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.10When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree."11Joab said to the man who had told him this, "What! You saw him? Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt."12But the man replied, "Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. '13And if I had put my life in jeopardy -and nothing is hidden from the king-you would have kept your distance from me."14Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.15And ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.16Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them.17They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.18During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.19Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, "Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies."20"You are not the one to take the news today," Joab told him. "You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king's son is dead."21Then Joab said to a Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.22Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, "Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite." But Joab replied, "My son, why do you want to go? You don't have any news that will bring you a reward."23He said, "Come what may, I want to run." So Joab said, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.24While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone.25The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, "If he is alone, he must have good news." And the man came closer and closer.26Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "He must be bringing good news, too."27The watchman said, "It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.He's a good man," the king said. "He comes with good news."28Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, "All is well!" He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king."29The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king's servant and me, your servant, but I don't know what it was."30The king said, "Stand aside and wait here." So he stepped aside and stood there.31Then the Cushite arrived and said, "My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has delivered you today from all who rose up against you."32The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man."33The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you-O Absalom, my son, my son!"
1Joab was told, "The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom."2And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, "The king is grieving for his son."3The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.
Mark
21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.22Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet23and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live."24So Jesus went with him.25A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep."40But they laughed at him.41After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ).42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful narratives that explore themes of human frailty, divine intervention, and the depth of God’s love. In the first reading from 2 Samuel, we witness the tragic end of Absalom, David’s rebellious son, and the profound grief that follows. Absalom’s death is a consequence of his own choices, yet David’s sorrow reveals the complexity of human emotions—love, regret, and the pain of loss. This story reminds us that even in the midst of conflict and sin, God’s mercy and justice are at work, shaping the course of human history.
In the Gospel, Mark presents two miracles that highlight Jesus’ power to heal and restore life. The woman with the flow of blood, who had suffered for twelve years, finds healing by touching Jesus’ garment. Her faith, though hidden, is rewarded, and Jesus publicly acknowledges her as a daughter of God. Similarly, Jairus’ daughter is raised from the dead, demonstrating Jesus’ authority over life and death. These miracles are not just displays of power but expressions of God’s compassion and desire to bring wholeness to His people.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the interplay between faith and suffering. In 2 Samuel, David’s grief reminds us that even those who are broken and flawed are loved by God. In Mark, the woman and Jairus teach us to trust in God’s power and mercy, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. In our own lives, we are called to approach God with faith, knowing that He can bring light out of darkness and life out of death. Let us turn to Him with open hearts, trusting in His plan and His love for us.