Daily Readings - Wed Jan 17 2018

First Reading - 1 Samuel 17.32-33, 37, 40-51

³²When he had been led to Saul, he said to him: "Let no one lose heart over him. I, your servant, shall go and fight against the Philistine.³³And Saul said to David: "You are not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him. For you are a boy, but he has been a warrior from his boyhood.³⁷And David said, "The Lord who rescued me from the hand of the lion, and from the hand of the bear, he himself will free me from the hand of this Philistine." Then Saul said to David, "Go, and may the Lord be with you.⁴⁰And he took up his staff, which he held always in his hands. And he chose for himself five very smooth stones from the torrent. And he put them into the shepherd’s bag that he had with him. And he took up a sling in his hand. And he went out against the Philistine⁴¹And the Philistine, advancing, went and drew near against David. And his armor bearer was before him⁴²And when the Philistine had seen and considered David, he despised him. For he was a youth, ruddy and of handsome appearance⁴³And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you approach against me with a staff?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods⁴⁴And he said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.⁴⁵But David said to the Philistine: "You approach me with sword, and spear, and shield. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have reproached⁴⁶Today, the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down. And I will take your head from you. And today, I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that God is with Israel⁴⁷And this entire assembly will know that the Lord does not save by sword, nor by spear. For this is his war, and he will deliver you into our hands.⁴⁸Then, when the Philistine had risen up, and was approaching, and was drawing near against David, David hurried and ran to the fight against the Philistine⁴⁹And he put his hand into his bag, and took out one stone. And swinging it around, he cast it with the sling and struck the Philistine on the forehead. And the stone became imbedded in his forehead. And he fell on his face, upon the ground⁵⁰And David prevailed against the Philistine with a sling and a stone. And he struck and killed the Philistine. But since David held no sword in his hand⁵¹he ran and stood over the Philistine, and he took his sword, and withdrew it from the sheath. And he killed him and cut off his head. Then the Philistines, seeing that their strongest man was dead, fled away

Gospel - Mark 3.1-6

Mark

Chapter 3

¹And again, he entered into the synagogue. And there was a man there who had a withered hand²And they observed him, to see if he would cure on the Sabbaths, so that they might accuse him³And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Stand up in the middle.⁴And he said to them: "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbaths, or to do evil, to give health to a life, or to destroy?" But they remained silent⁵And looking around at them with anger, being very saddened over the blindness of their hearts, he said to the man, "Extend your hand." And he extended it, and his hand was restored to him⁶Then the Pharisees, going out, immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, as to how they might destroy him

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust in God and the transformative power of faith. The first reading from 1 Samuel recounts the iconic story of David and Goliath. David, a young shepherd, faces the giant Goliath with nothing but a sling and stone, yet his unwavering faith in God leads him to victory. This story reminds us that true strength comes not from human might but from trusting in the Lord. The context of this story is one of fear and doubt among the Israelites, but David's courage, rooted in his relationship with God, shows that even the most daunting challenges can be overcome when we place our trust in Him. The Gospel from Mark presents a different kind of challenge. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, which provokes the Pharisees and Herodians to plot against Him. This reading highlights the tension between rigid legalism and the compassionate heart of God. Jesus' actions demonstrate that love and mercy should always take precedence over strict adherence to rules. The context here is the Pharisees' obsession with the law, which blinds them to the greater good. Jesus' response shows us that faith is not about following rules but about living out God's love in the world. Both readings remind us to trust in God's power and to prioritize love and compassion in our lives. Like David, we may face giants in our own lives—challenges that seem insurmountable. But if we place our trust in God, we can overcome them. Like Jesus, we are called to live out our faith in ways that bring healing and hope to others, even when it means challenging the status quo. Let us reflect on how we can apply this trust and compassion in our daily lives, seeking to be instruments of God's love in a world that often values power over people.