Daily Readings - Sun Apr 13 2025

⁴The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.⁵The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.⁶I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.⁷Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

Philippians

Chapter 2

⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke

Chapter 23

¹Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.²And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."³So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.⁴Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."⁵But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."⁶On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.⁷When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle.⁹He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.¹⁰The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.¹¹Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.¹²That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies.¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,¹⁴and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.¹⁶Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."¹⁷Verse omitted from the New International Version¹⁸With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"¹⁹(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)²⁰Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.²¹But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"²²For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."²³But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.²⁴So Pilate decided to grant their demand.²⁵He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.²⁶As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.²⁷A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.²⁹For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'³⁰Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'³¹For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.³⁴Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar³⁷and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."³⁸There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."⁴²Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. "⁴³Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.⁴⁷The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."⁴⁸When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.⁴⁹But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter profound reflections on humility, suffering, and the ultimate triumph of God’s plan. The first reading from Isaiah presents the figure of the Suffering Servant, who endures persecution and humiliation with unwavering trust in God. Despite being struck and reviled, the Servant does not turn away, for he knows that God is his helper. This passage, written centuries before Christ, foreshadows the Passion of Jesus, highlighting the deep connection between suffering and redemption. The second reading from Philippians offers a theological reflection on the humility of Christ. Paul describes how Jesus, though divine, emptied himself and took on human form, becoming obedient even to death on the Cross. This act of self-emptying love is not just a gesture of humility but a revelation of God’s nature. Through his obedience, Jesus is exalted, and every knee shall bend at the name of Jesus. This passage reminds us that true greatness lies in humility and surrender to God’s will. In the Gospel, Luke’s account of the Passion vividly portrays Jesus’ silence, forgiveness, and trust in the Father amidst immense suffering. From the false accusations before Pilate to the mockery on the Cross, Jesus remains steadfast in his mission. His words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” reveal the depth of his mercy. Even in death, Jesus offers hope to the repentant thief, promising paradise. This narrative invites us to reflect on how we respond to suffering and injustice in our own lives. These readings call us to embrace humility and trust in God’s plan, even when it leads us through trials. Like the Suffering Servant and Christ himself, we are invited to endure hardships with patience and faith, knowing that God’s glory will ultimately be revealed. In our daily lives, we are challenged to imitate Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy, even in the face of adversity. Let us ask for the grace to follow in his footsteps, trusting that our struggles, like his, will lead to resurrection and new life.