Daily Readings - Mon Jun 22 2020
2 Kings
5And he wandered through the entire land. And ascending to Samaria, he besieged it for three years6And in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of the Assyrians captured Samaria, and he carried away Israel to Assyria. And he stationed them in Halah and in Habor, beside the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes7For it happened that, when the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord, their God, who had led them away from the land of Egypt, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, they worshipped strange gods8And they walked according to the rituals of the nations that the Lord had consumed in the sight of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel. For they had acted similarly13And the Lord testified to them, in Israel and in Judah, through the hand of all the prophets and seers, saying: "Return from your wicked ways, and keep my precepts and ceremonies, in accord with the entire law, which I instructed to your fathers, and just as I sent to you by the hand of my servants, the prophets.14But they did not listen. Instead, they hardened their necks to be like the neck of their fathers, who were not willing to obey the Lord, their God15And they cast aside his ordinances, and the covenant that he formed with their fathers, and the testimonies which he testified to them. And they pursued vanities and acted vainly. And they followed the nations that were all around them, concerning the things which the Lord had commanded them not to do, and which they did18And the Lord became vehemently angry with Israel, and he took them away from his sight. And there remained no one, except the tribe of Judah alone
Matthew
1"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged2For with whatever judgment you judge, so shall you be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, so shall it be measured back to you3And how can you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, and not see the board in your own eye4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter from your eye,’ while, behold, a board is in your own eye5Hypocrite, first remove the board from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of sin, judgment, and humility. In the first reading from 2 Kings, we witness the fall of Israel and their exile into Assyria. This narrative serves as a theological explanation for their conquest, highlighting their turning away from God towards idolatry and disobedience. The consequences of their actions are clear: exile and separation from the covenant. This historical account underscores the importance of faithfulness and the repercussions of neglecting divine guidance.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches us about the dangers of hypocrisy in judgment. He admonishes us not to judge others lest we be judged, using the vivid metaphor of removing the plank from our own eye before addressing the splinter in another's. This teaching, part of the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizes the need for self-reflection and humility in our interactions with others.
Both readings connect through the themes of sin and judgment. While 2 Kings illustrates the collective judgment of a nation for its sins, Matthew focuses on individual judgment and the hypocrisy of condemning others while ignoring our own faults. This duality reminds us that recognizing our own shortcomings is essential before we can address those of others. In our daily lives, this teaches us to approach others with compassion and humility, fostering healthier relationships and communities. The moral lesson here is clear: true wisdom lies in self-awareness and humility, guiding us to lead by example rather than judgment.