Daily Readings - Sun Aug 23 2020
Isaiah
15Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him:19I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station.20In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,21and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.22And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.23And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house.
Romans
33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!34"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"35"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Matthew
13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"14And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."15He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"16Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."17And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."20Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of divine authority, faith, and the mystery of God’s ways. In the first reading from Isaiah, we see a dramatic shift in leadership as God removes Shebna, who has become complacent and unworthy of his role, and replaces him with Eliakim, a humble and faithful servant. This passage emphasizes God’s sovereignty and His ability to raise up leaders who will serve His people with integrity and love. The second reading from Romans is a hymn of praise to the unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God. St. Paul marvels at the mystery of God’s ways, acknowledging that His judgments are beyond human comprehension and that all things come from Him and return to Him. This passage calls us to humility and trust in God’s providence. In the Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples a pivotal question: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter, filled with faith and guided by the Father, confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus then entrusts Peter with the keys of the kingdom, symbolizing the authority to bind and loose, and establishes him as the rock upon which the Church will be built.
These readings are deeply connected. Isaiah’s prophecy about Eliakim, a faithful steward, foreshadows the role of Peter as the steward of the Church. Both Eliakim and Peter are called to serve God’s people with humility and fidelity. The passage from Romans reminds us that God’s ways are beyond our understanding, but we can trust in His wisdom and providence. This trust is precisely what Peter exhibits when he confesses Jesus as the Messiah. His faith is not based on human reasoning but on the revelation of the Father. In this way, the readings invite us to surrender our limited understanding and to place our faith in God’s plan, just as Peter did.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to reflect on our own faith and trust in God. Like Peter, we are called to confess Jesus as the center of our lives, even when the world around us is uncertain. We are also reminded that leadership and authority are not about power but about serving others with humility and love. As we navigate the complexities of life, let us turn to God with the same trust and faith that Peter showed. May we, like Eliakim and Peter, be faithful stewards of the gifts and responsibilities God has entrusted to us. And may we always remember that the wisdom and ways of God are far greater than anything we can comprehend.