Daily Readings - Tue Aug 20 2024
Ezekiel
1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying2"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart has been exalted, and you have said, ‘I am God, and I sit in the chair of God, in the heart of the sea,’ though you are a man, and not God, and because you have presented your heart as if it were the heart of God3Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is concealed from you4By your wisdom and prudence, you have made yourself strong, and you have acquired gold and silver for your storehouses5By the multitude of your wisdom, and by your business dealings, you have multiplied strength for yourself. And your heart has been exalted by your strength6Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because your heart has been exalted as if it were the heart of God7for this reason, behold, I will lead over you foreigners, the most robust among the Gentiles. And they will bare their swords over the beauty of your wisdom, and they will defile your beauty8They will destroy you and pull you down. And you will die the death of those slain in the heart of the sea9So then, will you speak, in the presence of those who are destroying you, before the hand of those who are killing you, saying, ‘I am God,’ though you are a man, and not God10You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hand of foreigners. For I have spoken, says the Lord God.
Matthew
23Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, that the wealthy shall enter with difficulty into the kingdom of heaven24And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for the wealthy to enter into the kingdom of heaven.25And upon hearing this, the disciples wondered greatly, saying: "Then who will be able to be saved?26But Jesus, gazing at them, said to them: "With men, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible.27Then Peter responded by saying to him: "Behold, we have left behind all things, and we have followed you. So then, what will be for us?28And Jesus said to them: "Amen I say to you, that at the resurrection, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, those of you who have followed me shall also sit on twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel29And anyone who has left behind home, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for the sake of my name, shall receive one hundred times more, and shall possess eternal life30But many of those who are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful lessons about pride, humility, and the ultimate trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Ezekiel speaks of the king of Tyre, who, seduced by his own power and wisdom, claims to be like God. His downfall is inevitable, for God will not tolerate such arrogance. This passage reminds us that pride goes before destruction, and our hearts must always remain humble before the Lord.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges his disciples with a hard truth: wealth and earthly possessions can be a significant obstacle to entering the kingdom of heaven. It is not that wealth itself is evil, but rather the attachment to it and the false sense of security it can create. Jesus emphasizes that salvation is not about what we have, but about trusting in God’s power and living with detachment. Peter, reflecting on the sacrifices he and the other disciples have made, asks about their reward. Jesus assures them that those who follow him with generosity and humility will receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the next.
These readings call us to examine our own hearts and lives. Do we, like the king of Tyre, allow pride to cloud our vision of God’s sovereignty? Or do we, like the disciples, seek to follow Jesus with humility and trust? Let us remember that true greatness in God’s eyes is found in humility, detachment, and a willingness to surrender all for the sake of the kingdom. May we strive to live in such a way that our hearts remain open to God’s will, and may we always trust in His promise that with Him, all things are possible.