Daily Readings - Tue Jun 16 2020
1 Kings
17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying18"Rise up, and descend to meet Ahab, the king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is descending to the vineyard of Naboth, so that he may take possession of it19And you shall speak to him, saying: ‘Thus says the Lord: You have killed. Moreover you have also taken possession.’ And after this, you shall add: ‘Thus says the Lord: In this place, where the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, they shall also lick your blood.’ 20And Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you discovered me to be your enemy?" And he said: "I have discovered you to have been sold, so that you would do evil in the sight of the Lord21‘Behold, I will lead evil over you. And I will cut down your posterity. And I will put to death of Ahab whatever urinates against a wall, and whatever is lame, and whatever is last in Israel22And I will cause your house to be like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. For you have acted so that you provoked me to anger, and so that you caused Israel to sin.23And about Jezebel also, the Lord spoke, saying: ‘The dogs shall consume Jezebel in the field of Jezreel24If Ahab will have died in the city, the dogs will consume him. But if he will have died in the field, the birds of the air will consume him.’ 25And so, there was no other person similar to Ahab, who was sold so that he did evil in the sight of the Lord. For his wife, Jezebel, urged him on26And he became abominable, so much so that he followed the idols that the Amorites had made, whom the Lord consumed before the face of the sons of Israel27Then, when Ahab had heard these words, he tore his garments, and he put haircloth on his body, and he fasted, and he slept in sackcloth, and he walked with his head downcast28And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying29"Have you not seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Therefore, since he has humbled himself because of me, I will not lead in the evil during his days. Instead, during the days of his son, I will bring in the evil to his house.
Matthew
43You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and you shall have hatred for your enemy.44But I say to you: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who persecute and slander you45In this way, you shall be sons of your Father, who is in heaven. He causes his sun to rise upon the good and the bad, and he causes it to rain upon the just and the unjust46For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not even tax collectors behave this way47And if you greet only your brothers, what more have you done? Do not even the pagans behave this way48Therefore, be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Sermon
The readings today present us with powerful lessons about sin, repentance, and the boundless love of God. In the first reading from 1 Kings, we see the story of Ahab, a king who allowed his greed and corruption to lead him into grave sin. Elijah confronts Ahab with a stern prophecy of judgment for his actions, yet we also witness the mercy of God when Ahab humbles himself and repents. This passage reminds us that while sin has consequences, God’s love and forgiveness are always available to those who turn to Him with a contrite heart.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to rethink our understanding of love. He tells us to love not just our neighbors but also our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to strive for perfection as our heavenly Father is perfect. This teaching is radical because it goes against our natural inclination to love only those who love us and to ignore or resent those who wrong us. Jesus calls us to a higher standard—one that reflects the universal love of God, who sends rain and sunshine alike on the just and the unjust.
These readings are connected by the theme of God’s mercy and the call to holiness. Ahab’s story shows us that even in the midst of sin, repentance can lead to mercy. Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel takes this a step further, inviting us to live in such a way that we reflect God’s love to all people, regardless of how they treat us. In our daily lives, this means examining our own hearts for areas where we may have turned away from God and seeking His forgiveness. It also means practicing love and kindness, even when it is difficult, as a way of living out our faith and growing in holiness. Let us strive to be like our Father in heaven, who loves without condition and without limit.