Daily Readings - Thu Feb 15 2024
Deuteronomy
15See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.16For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.17But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,18I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.19This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live20and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Luke
22And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the choices we make in life and the consequences that follow. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses presents the Israelites with a stark choice: life and prosperity if they follow God’s commandments, or death and destruction if they turn away. This passage is set in a pivotal moment for the Israelites, as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land. Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses, emphasizing the gravity of the decision before them. The choice is not just about immediate consequences but about their ultimate destiny and relationship with God.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the choice His followers must make. He predicts His own suffering, death, and resurrection, and then turns to His disciples with a clear and challenging message: to follow Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and lose their lives for His sake. This teaching is set in the context of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, where He is resolute in fulfilling His mission. The cross represents the ultimate symbol of sacrifice, and Jesus is clear that discipleship requires a willingness to let go of self-interest and worldly gain for the sake of the Kingdom.
Both readings remind us that our choices have profound implications. In Deuteronomy, the choice is between life and death, blessing and curse. In Luke, the choice is between saving one’s life and losing it for the sake of Christ. Together, they teach us that true life comes from trusting in God’s plan and being willing to surrender our own desires for a higher purpose. In our daily lives, we are constantly faced with decisions that test our commitment to God. Do we choose comfort and convenience, or do we embrace the sacrifices that come with following Christ? The readings encourage us to remember that the path of discipleship is not easy, but it is the only path that leads to true and lasting life. Let us choose life by loving God, listening to His voice, and clinging to Him, for He is our life and the length of our days.