Daily Readings - Sat Dec 09 2017
Isaiah
19For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.21And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.23And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures,24and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.25And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.26Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
Matthew
35And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, compassion, and mission. The first reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a future filled with abundance and healing, where God's people will live in Jerusalem, free from the bitterness of exile. The prophet describes a time when the Lord will provide for their needs, restore their teachers, and guide them on the right path. The imagery of rivers of running water and the light of the moon and sun symbolize the richness and fullness of life that God promises to his people. This passage is a message of hope to the Israelites during their time of exile, reminding them that God has not abandoned them and that a brighter future awaits.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who embodies this divine compassion and mercy. Jesus travels through cities and towns, teaching, preaching, and healing. He sees the multitudes as "distressed and lying like sheep without a shepherd," and his heart goes out to them. Moved by their spiritual and physical needs, he calls his disciples to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest. Jesus then commissions the Twelve, giving them authority to heal and cast out demons, and instructs them to focus their mission on the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." This passage highlights Jesus' deep concern for those who are lost and suffering, and it challenges us to share in his compassion and mission.
These readings are deeply connected. Isaiah's vision of a restored and healed people finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who brings God's kingdom to earth through his ministry and through the mission of his disciples. Both readings call us to trust in God's providence and to participate in his work of healing and restoration. In our daily lives, we are invited to imitate Jesus' compassion by reaching out to those around us who are hurting or lost. Like the disciples, we are called to be laborers in God's harvest, sharing the Good News and bringing light and hope to a world in need. May we, like Jesus, see the needs of others with hearts full of mercy and respond with faith and generosity.