Daily Readings - Sat Aug 11 2018
Habakkuk
12Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.13You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?14You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.15He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad.16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.17Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?
1I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.2And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.3For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.4"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Matthew
14And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him,15said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.16And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."17And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Habakkuk portrays the prophet's anguish as he questions God about the prevalence of injustice and suffering. Habakkuk seeks assurance that justice will prevail, and God's response emphasizes patience and faith, promising that the vision of justice will unfold in its appointed time. This context, set amidst the turmoil of the Jewish people facing oppression, reminds us to trust in God's timing even when circumstances seem dire.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to a father's desperate plea for his afflicted son. Despite the disciples' inability to heal the boy, Jesus demonstrates the transformative power of faith, healing the child and teaching the disciples about the necessity of unwavering belief. This passage underscores the idea that even a mustard seed of faith can move mountains, encouraging us to trust in God's power and presence in our lives.
These readings together guide us in navigating life's challenges with patience and faith. Just as Habakkuk waited for God's justice and the father trusted in Jesus' healing power, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith. In our daily struggles, we find comfort in knowing that God's timing is perfect and that our faith, however small, is a potent force. Let us embrace this lesson, trusting that through faith, we can overcome any obstacle, and in patience, we will see God's plan unfold.