Daily Scripture, September 17, 2025
Scripture:
Reflection:
Our readings today might aptly be described as a “lesson on manners,” a brief but very insightful tutorial on how Christians ought and ought not to behave. In the passage from 1 Timothy, we are reminded that through baptism we were incorporated into “the household of God.” Even though all of us belong to multiple “households” (family, friendships, local communities, groups and organizations), none should ever become more important than the household of God, which is “the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” The household of God is our true place of belonging, the foundation and center of our lives; no other “household” should ever supplant it.
Lest we think the household of God is a haphazard collection of individuals, each doing as he or she pleases, the writer insists that every member should “know how to behave in the household of God.” That’s because as we grow as members of that household, we are initiated into the ways of God that have been revealed to us in Christ. By learning the “manners” of Christ, we can fulfill our baptismal vocation of witnessing Christ in our lives until, as 1 Timothy promises, he is “believed in throughout the world.”
By contrast, today’s strange nugget of a gospel shows us how not to behave; it is a pithy, if initially perplexing, lesson in “bad manners.” Jesus zeroes in on people who are always finding fault, always criticizing, and using that as an excuse to reject the message as well as the messenger. John the Baptist comes along, and rather than taking his message to heart, they declare, “He is possessed by a demon.” Then Jesus stands right in front of them, and rather than opening their hearts to receive him, they mock him as “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” As a result, they stay exactly as they were, untouched, unchanged, unredeemed. That’s not only bad manners; it’s also an inconsolable tragedy.
Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province.
Scripture: Acts 8:26-40John 6:44-51 Reflection: The Necessary Passion of the Lord As we follow the Scriptures during the fifty days of Easter we can see a great contrast between John’s » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 8:1-8John 6:35-40 Reflection: Our lives can rightly be described as an ongoing search for what we think will fulfill and complete us, bringing peace to our frantically restless » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 7:51–8:1aJohn 6:30-35 Reflection: Our scripture readings point us to the powerful testimony of Stephen, a man filled with the Holy Spirit. He fearlessly confronts the religious leaders, accusing » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 6:8-15John 6:22-29 Reflection: Eternal Life Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life,which the Son of Man will give you. » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19John 2:1-5aLuke 24:35-48 Reflection: When Wayne Dyer was alive, he fervently advocated for simple strategies to cultivate a joyful spiritual life, emphasizing that hate can always be » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 6:1-7John 6:16-21 Reflection: “…Do not be afraid…It is I…” Quite a scene in today’s Gospel: Jesus’ disciples riding in a boat on the sea, heading toward Capernaum. It’s » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 5:34-42John 6:1-15 Reflection: “So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 5:27-33John 3:31-36 Reflection: I must admit I occasionally find the Gospel of John difficult to comprehend. Some passages can be obscurely mystical, enigmatic, even downright Delphic. Today’s gospel » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 5:17-26John 3:16-21 Reflection: There were things about my childhood that were difficult and even traumatic. In the hard work of coming to terms with them, I learned that » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 4:32-37John 3:7b-15 Reflection: Hello Nicodemus! We are with Nicodemus, the man who first came to Jesus at night. He moves from darkness to the light, faith in Jesus. » Continue Reading.