Daily Readings - Fri Dec 15 2023
Isaiah
17Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your God, who teaches you beneficial things, who guides you in the way that you walk18If only you had paid attention to my commandments! Your peace would have been like a river, and your justice would have been like the waves of the sea19and your offspring would have been like the sand, and the stock from your loins would have been like its stones. His name would not have passed away, nor would it have been worn away before my face
Matthew
16But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace17who, calling out to their companions, say: ‘We played music for you, and you did not dance. We lamented, and you did not mourn.18For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say, ‘He has a demon.19The Son of man came eating and drinking; and they say, ‘Behold, a man who eats voraciously and who drinks wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is justified by her sons.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we hear two powerful messages about God’s guidance and humanity’s response to it. The first reading from Isaiah reminds us that God is our Redeemer and Teacher, who desires to lead us on the right path. Isaiah laments that if only the people had listened to God’s commandments, they would have experienced peace and justice in abundance. The prophet paints a vivid picture of the blessings that could have been theirs—offspring as countless as the sand and a name that would endure forever. Yet, the people’s failure to heed God’s word leads to loss and regret.
The Gospel from Matthew offers a complementary reflection. Jesus compares the current generation to stubborn children who refuse to respond to God’s messengers. John the Baptist came as an ascetic, fasting and avoiding worldly pleasures, yet people accused him of having a demon. Jesus, on the other hand, came eating and drinking, and people criticized him for being a glutton and a friend of sinners. Jesus’ point is clear: no matter how God’s messengers come—whether through austerity or through fellowship—some will always find a reason to reject them. Yet, Jesus affirms that true wisdom is vindicated by its fruits, not by the opinions of others.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s call. Like the Israelites in Isaiah’s time, we often fail to listen to God’s commandments, and like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, we can be quick to judge and slow to discern. Today’s readings call us to humility and openness. Let us ask ourselves: Am I truly listening to God’s voice in my life? Am I open to His guidance, whether it comes through words of challenge or through acts of love? May we learn to trust in God’s wisdom and to follow His path, even when it goes against the expectations of the world.