Daily Readings - Mon Jun 21 2021
Genesis
1Then the Lord said to Abram: "Depart from your land, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, and come into the land that I will show you2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and magnify your name, and you will be blessed3I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.4And so Abram departed just as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran5And he took his wife Sarai, and Lot, the son of his brother, and all the substance which they had come to possess, and the lives which they had acquired in Haran, and they departed in order to go to the land of Canaan. And when they arrived in it6Abram passed through the land even to the place of Shechem, as far as the famous steep valley. Now at that time, the Canaanite was in the land7Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and he said to him, "To your offspring, I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him8And passing on from there to a mountain, which was opposite the east of Bethel, he pitched his tent there, having Bethel to the west, and Hai on the east. He also built an altar there to the Lord, and he called upon his name9And Abram traveled, going out and continuing further on, toward the south
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
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful calls to faith and humility. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Abram, who is called by God to leave behind everything familiar—his land, his family, and his home. God promises Abram that he will become the father of a great nation and that all the families of the earth will be blessed through him. Abram’s response is one of trust and obedience; he departs as the Lord instructs, even though the journey is uncertain. This passage reminds us that faith often requires us to step into the unknown, trusting that God’s plan is greater than our own.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a complementary message, as Jesus teaches us about the importance of humility and self-awareness. He warns us against judging others, reminding us that we will be judged by the same measure we use to judge others. Jesus uses the vivid image of a splinter in our brother’s eye and a board in our own to highlight the hypocrisy of focusing on others’ faults while ignoring our own. This teaching challenges us to examine our own hearts and actions before presuming to correct others. True wisdom begins with self-reflection and a willingness to acknowledge our own limitations.
These readings are connected by the theme of trusting God and living with humility. Abram’s faith in God’s promise teaches us to trust in divine providence, even when the path ahead is unclear. Jesus’ teaching, on the other hand, calls us to humility and self-awareness, reminding us that we cannot guide others unless we first examine our own lives. Together, these readings invite us to embrace a life of faith and humility, trusting in God’s plan while striving to live with integrity and compassion. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to step out in faith like Abram? And are we honest enough to recognize our own shortcomings before judging others? May we seek to follow God’s will with trust and humility, allowing His grace to transform our hearts and actions.