Daily Readings - Fri Apr 08 2022
Jeremiah
7O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.10I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."11But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.12O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.13Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
John
31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?35If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken--36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed41and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true."42And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives of faith, persecution, and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Jeremiah portrays the prophet as a man deeply afflicted by the mockery and persecution of those around him. Despite his suffering, Jeremiah clings to his faith in God, acknowledging that the Lord is his strength and that those who persecute him will ultimately fall. His cry to God is one of trust, even in the midst of great trial. In the Gospel, we see Jesus facing similar opposition. The Pharisees, unable to accept His divine claims, seek to stone Him for blasphemy. Yet Jesus stands firm, pointing to His works as evidence of His union with the Father. He reminds them that the Father’s presence in Him is the source of His authority and power.
Both readings highlight the tension between standing up for the truth and facing opposition. Jeremiah and Jesus are figures who embody the cost of proclaiming God’s message in a world that often resists it. For Jeremiah, this means enduring mockery and betrayal, while for Jesus, it means confronting the Pharisees’ refusal to accept His divine identity. Yet in both cases, we see a deep trust in God’s plan and a refusal to back down from their mission. This reminds us that living out our faith may not always be easy, but it is in these moments of challenge that our reliance on God is most evident.
As we reflect on these readings, let us consider how they apply to our own lives. How often do we face situations where standing up for what is right or living according to God’s truth leads to discomfort or even opposition? Like Jeremiah and Jesus, we are called to trust in God’s presence and providence, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. Let us pray for the courage to remain faithful, even in the face of adversity, and to remember that God is always with us, strengthening us to endure and to witness to His love.