Daily Readings - Thu Mar 16 2023
Jeremiah
23but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.24But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.25From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets.26But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.'27"When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.28Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.
Luke
14Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.15But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons."16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.17Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub.19Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our response to His call. The first reading from Jeremiah paints a vivid picture of a people who have turned away from God, refusing to listen to His voice and instead following their own desires. This rejection leads to a breakdown in their relationship with God and a failure to live according to His will. The Gospel, on the other hand, presents Jesus performing a miracle by healing a mute man possessed by a demon. While the crowd is amazed, some question the source of His power, attributing it to Beelzebub rather than recognizing it as a work of God. Jesus responds by emphasizing the unity of God's kingdom and challenging those who doubt Him to consider the truth of His mission.
The context of these readings is deeply rooted in the human struggle to trust and obey God. Jeremiah speaks to a people who have been given every opportunity to follow God but have consistently chosen their own path, leading to division and suffering. In the Gospel, Jesus confronts the skepticism of those who refuse to see the divine authority behind His actions. Both readings highlight the tension between God's invitation to relationship and humanity's tendency to resist or misunderstand it.
These readings call us to examine our own lives. Are we like the Israelites in Jeremiah's time, ignoring God's voice and going our own way? Or are we like the crowd in the Gospel, quick to doubt or misattribute the works of God? Jesus reminds us that His power is not from some false source but from the finger of God, and He calls us to be with Him, not against Him. In our daily lives, this means choosing to listen to God's voice, even when it challenges us, and trusting in His plan, even when we don't fully understand it. The moral lesson here is clear: faith and obedience are essential for living in harmony with God and for allowing His kingdom to take root in our hearts. Let us strive to be people who not only hear God's word but also act on it, living as faithful disciples in a world that often resists His truth.