Daily Readings - Tue Jun 16 2020
1 Kings
17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,18"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.19And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'"20Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.21Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.22And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin.23And of Jezebel the LORD also said, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.'24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat."25(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.26He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.)27And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly.28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,29"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house."
Matthew
43"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Sermon
The readings today present us with powerful lessons about sin, repentance, and the boundless love of God. In the first reading from 1 Kings, we see the story of Ahab, a king who allowed his greed and corruption to lead him into grave sin. Elijah confronts Ahab with a stern prophecy of judgment for his actions, yet we also witness the mercy of God when Ahab humbles himself and repents. This passage reminds us that while sin has consequences, God’s love and forgiveness are always available to those who turn to Him with a contrite heart.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to rethink our understanding of love. He tells us to love not just our neighbors but also our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to strive for perfection as our heavenly Father is perfect. This teaching is radical because it goes against our natural inclination to love only those who love us and to ignore or resent those who wrong us. Jesus calls us to a higher standard—one that reflects the universal love of God, who sends rain and sunshine alike on the just and the unjust.
These readings are connected by the theme of God’s mercy and the call to holiness. Ahab’s story shows us that even in the midst of sin, repentance can lead to mercy. Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel takes this a step further, inviting us to live in such a way that we reflect God’s love to all people, regardless of how they treat us. In our daily lives, this means examining our own hearts for areas where we may have turned away from God and seeking His forgiveness. It also means practicing love and kindness, even when it is difficult, as a way of living out our faith and growing in holiness. Let us strive to be like our Father in heaven, who loves without condition and without limit.