The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 315: The Virtue of Mercy (2024)
Sun, 10 Nov
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In light of a series of miracles in our readings for today, Fr. Mike focuses on our Lord’s compassion and our call to be merciful, as he is. He emphasizes the beauty of God’s mercy and his offering of it despite our unworthiness. He also strikes a balance between the goodness of humanity as God’s creation and our brokenness due to original sin. Today’s readings are Luke 6-8 and Proverbs 26:1-3. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: What is the focus of today's readings?
Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 315. Oh my gosh, what a great gift. We're reading Luke chapter 6, 7, and 8. We're also reading Proverbs chapter 26, verses 1 through 3.
As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, 2nd Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on daily, oh, clicking on subscribes, subscribing, subscribes.
You can subscribe to this podcast. It's a wonderful thing. You don't have to do it. Do what you want. Anyways, we're reading Luke chapter six, seven, and eight. It's day 315, and we're reading Proverbs chapter 26, verses one through three. The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, a teaching about the Sabbath.
On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grain fields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?
And Jesus answered, have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God and took and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him. And he said to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. The man with the withered hand.
On another Sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath so that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, Come and stand here. And he rose and stood there.
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Chapter 2: What does Luke chapter 6 teach us about mercy?
And Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it? And he looked around on them all and said to him, Stretch out your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Jesus chooses the 12 disciples.
In these days, he went out to the hills to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples and chose from them 12, whom he named apostles, Simon, whom he named Peter,
and Andrew his brother, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Jesus teaches and heals.
And he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him for power came forth from him and healed them all.
blessings and woes. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For so their fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Love for enemies But I say to you that here, love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again.
And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. And your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judging Others Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned.
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Chapter 3: How did Jesus demonstrate compassion in his miracles?
The good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, produces good, and the evil man, out of the evil treasure, produces evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Hearers and Doers Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like.
He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation upon rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it because it had been well built. But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which the stream broke and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.
Chapter 7, Jesus Heals a Centurion's Slave After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. When he heard of Jesus, he sent him to elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave.
And when they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue. And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.
Therefore I did not presume to come to you, but say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I am a man set under authority with soldiers under me. And I say to one, go, and he goes. And to another, come, and he comes. And to my slave, do this, and he does it.
When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well. Jesus raises a widow's son at Nain. Soon afterward, he went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. And he came and touched the beer, and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say to you, Arise.
And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has arisen among us, and God has visited his people. And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. The disciples of John told him of all these things.
And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another? And when the men had come to him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another? In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.
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Chapter 4: What lessons can we learn from the parable of the sower?
Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins? And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. Chapter 8. Some Women Accompanied Jesus. Soon afterward, he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.
And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chusa, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their means. the parable of the sower.
And when a great crowd came together, and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture.
and some fell among thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it and some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold as he said this he called out he who has ears to hear let him hear the explanation of the parable.
And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, to you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others, they are in parables so that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand. Now, the parable is this. The seed is the word of God.
The ones along the path are those who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but these have no root. They believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience. A lamp is not hidden.
No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.
Take heed then how you hear, for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. the true kindred of Jesus. Then his mother and his brethren came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd. And he was told, Your mother and your brethren are standing outside desiring to see you.
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Chapter 5: How can we apply the teachings of Jesus in our lives?
But he said to them, My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it. Jesus calms a storm on the sea. One day he got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them, let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they set out and as they sailed, he fell asleep and a storm of wind came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in danger.
And they went and woke him saying, master, master, we are perishing. And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves and they ceased and there was a calm. He said to them, Where is your faith? And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that he commands even wind and water, and they obey him? Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac.
Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house, but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, what have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the most high God?
I beg you, do not torment me. For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert. Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he said, Legion.
For many demons had entered him, and they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed.
Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged him that he might be with him. But he sent him away, saying, Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.
And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. a girl restored to life, and a woman healed. Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue, and falling at Jesus' feet, he begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
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