Daily Readings - Wed Dec 13 2017
Isaiah
25To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.26Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.27Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.30Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful invitations to trust in God’s providence and find rest in Him. The first reading from Isaiah reminds us of God’s incomparable greatness and His unwavering care for His people. Addressing the Israelites in exile, Isaiah reassures them that even when their journey seems hidden from God, He remains the all-powerful Creator who never grows weary. He promises strength to the weary and urges them to hope in Him, for those who do will soar like eagles, unburdened by their struggles. The Gospel, from Matthew, offers a similar yet deeply personal invitation. Jesus calls out to all who are laboring and burdened, promising rest and refreshment. He invites us to take His yoke upon us, not as a new burden, but as a path to humility and peace. His yoke, He assures us, is sweet, and His burden is light.
Both readings, though separated by centuries, speak to a universal human experience: the feeling of being overwhelmed and the longing for relief. Isaiah emphasizes God’s transcendence and His ability to renew our strength, while Jesus offers a more intimate invitation to lean on Him in our weariness. Together, they remind us that our burdens, though real, are not ours to carry alone. God’s strength is available to us, and His rest is a gift we can receive when we surrender our struggles to Him.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to humility and trust. When we feel exhausted or discouraged, we are invited to lift our eyes to the God who created the stars and yet knows each of us by name. We are reminded that true rest comes not from our own efforts but from surrendering our burdens to Him. Let us learn to hope in the Lord, to take His yoke upon us, and to walk in the humility and peace that only He can give. In doing so, we will find the strength to run without growing weary and to rise above our challenges like eagles soaring on wings of faith.