Daily Readings - Sun Mar 10 2024

¹⁴Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.¹⁵The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place.¹⁶But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.¹⁷He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.¹⁹They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.²⁰He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power.²¹The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.²²In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:²³"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

Ephesians

Chapter 2

⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

John

Chapter 3

¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,¹⁵that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we journey through themes of sin, redemption, and the boundless love of God. The first reading from 2 Chronicles recounts the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites, highlighting their disregard for God’s prophets and the subsequent consequences. Yet, it also offers hope through Cyrus, who allows the Israelites to return and rebuild the Temple, illustrating God’s mercy and desire for reconciliation. The second reading from Ephesians emphasizes salvation by grace through faith, not works, underscoring that our redemption is a gift from God. The Gospel from John, with its iconic verse, John 3:16, proclaims God’s love in giving His Son for the world’s salvation, contrasting light and darkness and the choice to believe in Jesus for eternal life. These readings, though from different times and contexts, weave together a narrative of human sin and God’s redemptive plan. The fall of Jerusalem serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, while the exile and return symbolize the cycle of sin, punishment, and redemption. Ephesians bridges this with the assurance that salvation is not earned but freely given by God’s grace. The Gospel then invites us to embrace this grace through faith in Jesus, who is the light in a world often shrouded in darkness. In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on our relationship with God. They remind us that our actions have consequences, but more importantly, that God’s love and mercy are always available. We are encouraged to trust in God’s grace and to live as children of light, choosing truth and goodness. As we navigate life’s challenges, let us remember that our salvation is a gift, and our response should be lives of gratitude and faith, walking in the good works prepared for us by God. Let us embrace the light of Christ, allowing His love to transform us and guide us in our journey toward eternal life.