Daily Readings - Sun Sep 22 2024
James
16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Mark
30They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."32But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true wisdom, the roots of conflict, and the call to humility. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear the voice of the wicked plotting against the just, testing whether God will truly come to the defense of the righteous. This passage reflects the age-old tension between those who live according to God’s ways and those who reject them. The wicked, driven by envy and malice, seek to destroy the just, believing that their own power and schemes will prevail. Yet, this passage also hints at the ultimate vindication of the righteous, as God’s wisdom and justice will shine through in the end.
The second reading from the Letter of James complements this theme by identifying the source of conflict and division. James reminds us that wars and quarrels arise not from external circumstances but from the desires that wage war within us. He contrasts earthly wisdom, which is marked by envy and selfish ambition, with the wisdom that comes from above, which is pure, peaceful, and merciful. True wisdom, James tells us, is not about winning arguments or achieving power but about sowing peace and justice in our relationships with others.
In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus teaching his disciples about the true nature of his mission. Jesus predicts his passion and resurrection, but the disciples fail to understand, and instead, they argue among themselves about which of them is the greatest. Jesus responds by placing a child in their midst, teaching them that true greatness lies in humility and service. To welcome a child, he says, is to welcome him and the Father who sent him. This lesson challenges us to reorient our priorities, recognizing that the last shall be first and the servant of all shall be the greatest in God’s kingdom.
These readings call us to examine our own lives and relationships. Where do we allow envy, ambition, or selfishness to take root? How do we respond to suffering or misunderstanding? The wisdom of God, as revealed in these passages, is not about power or prestige but about humility, mercy, and self-giving love. Let us strive to live out this wisdom in our daily lives, seeking to serve rather than be served, and to welcome the least among us as we would welcome Christ himself. In doing so, we will find the true peace and justice that only God can give.