Daily Readings - Fri Apr 11 2025
Jeremiah
7O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.10I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."11But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.12O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.13Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
John
31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'?35If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken--36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed41and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true."42And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two figures, Jeremiah and Jesus, who face intense opposition for their faith and message. Jeremiah, a prophet called by God, expresses his anguish and betrayal as he is mocked and persecuted by those he trusted. Despite his suffering, he remains steadfast, trusting in God's strength and justice, knowing that his persecutors will ultimately fail. Similarly, in the Gospel, Jesus is accused of blasphemy by the Jews who seek to stone Him. He defends His divinity by referencing Scripture and the miraculous works that attest to His union with the Father, urging His adversaries to believe in Him through these signs.
Both readings highlight the theme of persecution for righteousness' sake. Jeremiah and Jesus exemplify unwavering commitment to God's truth despite hostility. Their experiences remind us that standing up for our faith can lead to opposition, but it is in these moments that our trust in God is most crucial. Like Jeremiah, we must lean on God's strength, and like Jesus, we must allow our actions and faith to speak volumes about our commitment to Him.
In our daily lives, we may face challenges for our beliefs, whether in our personal or public spheres. Let us draw inspiration from Jeremiah's trust and Jesus' courage. May we remain steadfast in our faith, trusting that God is with us, even in the face of adversity. Let our lives be a testament to God's presence, and may our actions reflect the love and truth of Christ, even when met with opposition.