Daily Readings - Sat Jan 27 2024
2 Samuel
1The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.2The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.4"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!6He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."7Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.10Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'11"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.12You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"13Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.14But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."15After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill.16David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground.17The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.
Mark
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on sin, repentance, and faith. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts the story of King David and the prophet Nathan. David, who had risen to great heights as king of Israel, fell deeply into sin by taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and arranging Uriah’s death. Nathan confronts David with a parable about a wealthy man who takes a poor man’s only sheep. Recognizing himself in the story, David confesses his sin, and Nathan assures him of God’s forgiveness, though consequences remain. This passage reminds us that sin has repercussions, but God’s mercy is always available to those who repent.
The Gospel from Mark tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. Jesus and his disciples are on a boat when a fierce storm arises, threatening to capsize them. While Jesus sleeps, the disciples panic and wake him, crying out for help. Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea, restoring calm. He then asks them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still lack faith?” This story highlights Jesus’ divine power over creation and invites us to trust in God’s providence, even in the midst of life’s storms.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. Like David, we all sin and fall short, but we are invited to acknowledge our failures and seek forgiveness. Like the disciples, we often face challenges that test our faith. Yet, in both cases, God’s grace and power are available to us. Let us ask ourselves: Where am I struggling with sin or doubt? How can I deepen my trust in God’s mercy and providence? May we learn to repent with humility and to have faith that God will calm the storms of our lives.