Daily Readings - Sun Apr 02 2023

⁴The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.⁵The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.⁶I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.⁷Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

Philippians

Chapter 2

⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew

Chapter 27

¹¹Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.¹²When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.¹³Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?"¹⁴But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor.¹⁵Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.¹⁶At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.¹⁷So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"¹⁸For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.²¹"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.²²"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"²³"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"²⁵All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.²⁷Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,²⁹and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.³⁰They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.³¹After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.³²As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.³³They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).³⁴There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.³⁵When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.³⁶And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.³⁷Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.³⁸Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.³⁹Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads⁴⁰and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"⁴¹In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.⁴²"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.⁴³He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"⁴⁴In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.⁴⁵From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.⁴⁶About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"⁴⁷When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.⁴⁹The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."⁵⁰And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.⁵²The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.⁵³They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.⁵⁴When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound example of humility and trust in God, as seen in the life of Jesus. The first reading from Isaiah presents a figure who, despite suffering and persecution, remains steadfast in faith, trusting in God's deliverance. This figure is a prophecy of Jesus, the suffering servant, who embodies the same unwavering trust in the face of adversity. The second reading from Philippians beautifully captures the essence of Jesus' humility and obedience, as he empties himself to take on human form and submits to death on the cross. This act of self-emptying love is not just a display of humility but also a profound expression of trust in God's plan, which ultimately leads to his exaltation. The Gospel from Matthew vividly portrays the culmination of this humility and trust in the narrative of Jesus' crucifixion. Despite the mockery, betrayal, and suffering, Jesus remains silent, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. His silence is not one of defeat but of trust in God's plan. The people's choice of Barabbas over Jesus and the subsequent crucifixion reveal the depth of human sin, but they also highlight the depth of God's love. The crucifixion scene is a powerful reminder of the cost of sin and the price Jesus paid for our redemption. The tearing of the temple veil and the resurrection of the saints symbolize the new covenant and the victory of life over death. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to embrace humility and trust in our own lives. In a world that often values power and control, Jesus shows us that true strength lies in surrendering to God's will. Like Jesus, we are called to trust in God even when the path is uncertain or difficult. This trust is not passive but active, requiring us to stand firm in our faith despite trials and persecutions. The moral lesson here is clear: our lives should be shaped by selfless love and a willingness to lay down our own interests for the sake of others. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is not just an act of redemption but also a call to follow in his footsteps, living lives marked by humility, trust, and love.