Daily Readings - Mon Dec 16 2024
Numbers
2and lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel dwelling in tents by their tribes. And with the Spirit of God rushing into him3taking up his parable, he said: "Balaam, the son of Beor, the man whose eye has been obstructed4the hearer of the sermon of God, he who has gazed upon a vision of the Almighty, he who falls down and so his eyes are opened, has declared5‘How beautiful are your tabernacles, O Jacob, and your tents, O Israel6They are like forested valleys, like gardens irrigated next to rivers, like tabernacles which the Lord has fixed, like cedars close to waters7Water shall flow from his jar, and his offspring shall be amid many waters, because Agag, his king, shall be taken, and his kingdom shall be removed15Therefore, taking up his parable, he again spoke: "Balaam the son of Beor, the man whose eye has been obstructed16the hearer of the sermon of God, he who knows the doctrine of the Most High, and who sees the visions of the Almighty, who, falling down, has his eyes opened, has declared17I shall see him, but not presently. I shall gaze upon him, but not soon. A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall spring up from Israel. And he shall strike down the commanders of Moab, and he shall devastate all the sons of Seth
Matthew
23And when he had arrived at the temple, as he was teaching, the leaders of the priests and the elders of the people approached him, saying: "By what authority do you do these things? And who has given this authority to you?24In response, Jesus said to them: "I also will question you with one word: if you tell me this, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things25The baptism of John, where was it from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" But they thought within themselves, saying26"If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we have the crowd to fear, for they all hold John to be a prophet.27And so, they answered Jesus by saying, "We do not know." So he also said to them: "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of authority, truth, and integrity. The first reading from Numbers presents us with the figure of Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet who, despite being commissioned to curse Israel, finds himself compelled by God to bless them instead. His vision of Israel’s beauty and future glory underscores God’s sovereignty and the ultimate triumph of His people. The Gospel reading shifts our focus to Jesus in the temple, where religious leaders challenge His authority. Jesus, in turn, questions them about the origin of John the Baptist’s authority, leaving them trapped by their own hypocrisy and fear of the crowd. His response highlights the tension between human authority and divine truth.
The connection between these readings lies in their exploration of authority and its sources. Balaam, though an outsider, becomes a vessel for God’s truth, while Jesus confronts the religious leaders’ attempt to assert their own authority over Him. Both stories remind us that true authority comes not from human power or consensus but from God. Balaam’s prophecy and Jesus’ teaching reveal that those who speak on behalf of God must do so with integrity, even when it challenges the status quo.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine where we ground our own authority and truth. Are we like Balaam, willing to let God’s Spirit guide us even when it goes against our intentions? Or are we like the religious leaders, more concerned with maintaining power and approval? Let us seek to align our wills with God’s, trusting in His plan and speaking the truth with courage and humility. May we, like Balaam, gaze upon the beauty of God’s people and, like Jesus, stand firm in our commitment to His truth, even when the world questions our authority.