Daily Readings - Thu Feb 27 2020
Deuteronomy
15See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.16For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.17But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,18I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.19This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live20and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Luke
22And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Sermon
The first reading from Deuteronomy presents Moses offering the Israelites a stark choice: life or death, blessing or curse. Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses, emphasizing the gravity of this decision. The choice is not merely about physical survival but about fidelity to God and His ways. To choose life means to love God, walk in His ways, and cling to Him, for He is the source of life and the promise of a future. This passage is set in the context of the Israelites standing on the brink of the Promised Land, ready to inherit the land sworn to their ancestors. Moses’ words are a final exhortation to remain faithful despite the challenges and temptations they will face.
The Gospel from Luke shifts the focus to Jesus, who speaks about the cost of discipleship. He predicts His own suffering, rejection, and resurrection, then turns to His followers, saying, “If anyone is willing to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow me.” Jesus is clear: the path of following Him is not one of comfort or self-preservation but of self-denial and surrender. The cross represents the ultimate act of love and trust in God’s plan, even when it leads to sacrifice. Jesus’ words challenge His disciples—and us—to reevaluate what it means to live a life that truly matters. Gaining the world but losing oneself is no gain at all; true life is found in losing oneself for His sake.
These readings are deeply connected, as both invite us to make a choice about how we will live. In Deuteronomy, the choice is between life and death, blessing and curse, while in Luke, it is between self-interest and self-denial. Together, they remind us that following God requires trust, commitment, and a willingness to let go of our own desires when they conflict with His will. In our daily lives, we are constantly faced with smaller but significant choices that reflect this larger decision. Will we choose to love God and walk in His ways, even when it is difficult? Will we take up our cross and follow Jesus, trusting that His plan leads to true life? These readings call us to live with intentionality, remembering that our choices shape who we are and where we are headed. Let us choose life—life in God—by clinging to Him and trusting in His promise.