Daily Readings - Tue Jul 23 2024
Micah
14With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days15As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him18What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful19He will turn back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea20You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days
Matthew
46While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with him48But responding to the one speaking to him, he said, "Which one is my mother, and who are my brothers?49And extending his hand to his disciples, he said: "Behold: my mother and my brothers50For anyone who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound messages from both the Old and New Testaments that guide us in understanding God's mercy and our role within His family. The first reading from Micah offers a vision of hope and redemption. Micah, speaking to a distressed Israel, reminds us of God's faithfulness and mercy. He portrays God as a shepherd tending to His people, promising forgiveness and the casting away of sins. This message is set against the backdrop of Israel's struggles, emphasizing that even in darkness, God's mercy endures.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who redefines family. When His biological relatives approach, Jesus expands the concept of kinship to include all who do God's will. This teaching, rooted in the context of Jesus' ministry emphasizing the kingdom of God, invites us to see our spiritual family as those united in faith and action. Together, Micah and Matthew highlight the dual aspects of God's nature: His mercy and His call to live according to His will.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace both the reception of God's mercy and the active pursuit of His will. We are called to live as part of God's family, not just by birth but by our deeds. This means serving others with love and compassion, reflecting God's mercy in our interactions. The moral lesson here is the transformative power of spiritual kinship and the call to embody God's love in all we do, thereby living as true members of His family.