Daily Reading

First Reading

Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20

King Darius also made a decree, and these articles were to be carried out with diligence. Likewise the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought them into the temple of Babylon, these King Darius brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place, and deposited them in the house of God. So the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished building the house of God which is in Jerusalem. They offered sacrifice at the dedication of this house of God with joy. The Feast of Booths was celebrated there by the Jews, and offering of the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the ordinance for each day. And afterward the dedication of the temple was held—this continued for eight days—and at the dedication they offered at the temple the daily burnt offerings by number, and the grain offerings, and the offerings of the age-old festivals of God, and of those mandated by the law of Moses, the consecrations of each day. And afterward they offered peace offerings, and made thanksgiving to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love toward Israel endures forever.

Psalm

Psalm 122:1–2, 3–4ab, 4cd–5

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound firmly together.

To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.

Gospel Reading

Luke 8:19-21

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.
And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Reflection

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus identifies his disciples as his family. I want to say something about our becoming disciples in his family. Once we make the decision to follow Jesus, then every other claimant to supremacy must fall away. As I’ve argued many times before, every one of us has something or some set of values that we consider greatest.

Perhaps it is money, material things, power, or the esteem of others. Perhaps it is your family, your kids, your wife, your husband. 

None of this is false, and none of these things are bad. But when you place any of them in the absolute center of gravity, things go awry. When you make any of them your ultimate or final good, your spiritual life goes haywire. When you attach yourself to any of them with an absolute tenacity, you will fall apart.

Only when we make Christ the cornerstone of our lives are we truly ready for mission. Keep in mind that every encounter with God in the Bible conduces to mission, to being sent to do the work of the Lord. If we try to do this work while we are stuck to any number of attachments, we will fail. Period.