Daily Readings - Wed Mar 17 2021
Isaiah
8This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,9to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'"They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.10They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.11I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.12See, they will come from afar- some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan. "13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.14But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."15"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
John
16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.17Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."18For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.25I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice29and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s profound love and care for His people, as well as the divine authority and mission of Jesus Christ. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the Lord’s promise of consolation and restoration to His people. Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a time when the scattered and suffering people of God will be gathered back, fed, and comforted. Zion, though feeling abandoned, is reminded that God’s love is far greater than any human love; even if a mother could forget her child, God will never forget His own. This passage speaks to the enduring faithfulness of God, who always remembers and cares for those who are His.
In the Gospel, Jesus defends His divine authority and mission. The Jews are angered because Jesus works on the Sabbath and claims a unique relationship with God the Father. Jesus explains that His works are not His own but are done in union with the Father. He emphasizes that the Father has entrusted Him with the power to give life and to judge. Jesus’ words challenge us to recognize His divine identity and to trust in His mission. He assures us that those who hear His word and believe in the Father will have eternal life, passing from death to life. This passage invites us to reflect on the profound truth of Jesus’ divinity and the eternal life He offers.
These readings remind us that our lives are rooted in God’s love and care. Just as Isaiah reassures Zion of God’s faithfulness, Jesus invites us to trust in His divine plan. In our daily lives, we are called to live with hope and confidence, knowing that God is always at work, even when we feel forgotten or uncertain. Let us strive to honor Jesus as the Son of God, to listen to His word, and to live in a way that reflects our faith. May we remember that our actions have eternal consequences and that we are called to live in a way that brings honor to God, who has given us life and salvation through His Son.