Daily Readings - Mon Jul 02 2018
Amos
6Thus says the Lord: For three wicked deeds of Israel, and for four, I will not convert him, in so far as he has sold the just for silver and the poor for shoes7They grind the heads of the poor into the dust of the earth, and they divert the way of the humble. And the son, as well as his father, have gone to the same girl, so that they outrage my holy name8And they have lain on garments taken in pledge next to every altar. And they drank the wine of the damned in the house of their God9Yet I exterminated the Amorites before their face, whose height was like the height of cedars, and whose strength was like the oak. And I crushed his fruit from above and his roots below10It is I who caused you to ascend from the land of Egypt, and I led you in the wilderness for forty years, so that you might possess the land of the Amorite13Behold, I will creak under you, just as a wagon creaks that is laden with hay14And flight will perish from the swift, and the strong will not maintain his strength, and the healthy will not save his life15And one holding the bow will not stand firm, and the swift of foot will not be saved, and the rider on the horse will not save his life16And the stout of heart among the strong will flee away naked in that day, says the Lord
Matthew
18Then Jesus, seeing the great crowds encircling him, gave orders to go across the sea19And one scribe, approaching, said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you will go.20And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest his head.21Then another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.22But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and allow the dead to bury their dead.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of commitment and discipleship. In the first reading from the prophet Amos, we encounter a stern warning from God to the people of Israel. Despite their prosperity, they have turned away from justice and exploited the poor. Amos condemns their hypocrisy and warns of impending judgment if they do not return to a life of integrity and compassion. The context of this passage is a time of relative peace and wealth in Israel, but also of moral decay. Amos calls the people back to their covenant with God, reminding them that true faith must be lived out in how they treat the vulnerable.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the radical commitment required to follow him. When a scribe offers to follow Jesus anywhere, Jesus responds by highlighting the cost of discipleship—there is no guarantee of comfort or security. Another disciple asks to delay following Jesus to bury his father, but Jesus insists that the call to follow must take precedence. The context here is Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, where he is gathering disciples to join him in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. These exchanges emphasize that following Jesus is not a part-time or conditional commitment; it demands our full and immediate attention.
Both readings remind us that faith is not a passive or comfortable endeavor. Amos challenges us to live out our faith in justice and compassion, while Jesus calls us to leave behind distractions and follow him without hesitation. In our daily lives, this means being willing to make sacrifices, to stand up for what is right, and to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. The moral lesson is clear: discipleship comes with a cost, but it is a cost worth paying. Let us examine our own commitments and ask ourselves if we are truly living as followers of Christ, ready to embrace the challenges and uncertainties that come with that calling.