Daily Readings - Tue Jul 04 2017
Genesis
15As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city."16But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.17And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away."18And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords.19Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.20Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there--is it not a little one?--and my life will be saved!"21He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.22Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.23The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.24Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.25And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.26But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.27And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.28And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.29So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
Matthew
23And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.25And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.27And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust and faith in God's providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, Abraham's nephew, finds himself in a precarious situation as the angels of the Lord urge him to flee the wicked cities. Despite his hesitation, the angels guide him and his family to safety, though his wife's glance back results in her turning into a pillar of salt. This story serves as a reminder of the importance of trusting in God's plan, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus and His disciples facing a tempest while on a boat. The disciples, overwhelmed by fear, awaken Jesus, who calmly commands the storm to cease, demonstrating His divine authority over nature. This miracle not only showcases Jesus' power but also highlights the disciples' journey from fear to faith, urging us to trust in God's presence during life's turbulent moments.
These readings interconnectedly remind us that faith is not about the absence of fear but about trusting in God's providence amidst life's challenges. Just as Lot needed to trust the angels and the disciples needed to trust Jesus, we too are called to place our trust in God. In our daily lives, we face our own storms—whether personal struggles, uncertainties, or global crises. Let us draw strength from these stories, remembering that God is always with us, guiding us through the chaos. May we, like the disciples, move from fear to faith, trusting that God's plan is greater than our understanding.