Daily Readings - Mon Dec 14 2020
Numbers
2And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him,3and he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,4the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:5How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!6Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.7Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.15And he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,16the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Matthew
23And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"24Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'26But if we say, 'From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet."27So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments of prophecy and authority. The first reading from Numbers describes Balaam, a man gifted with the ability to see visions from God. Despite being hired to curse Israel, Balaam instead praises God’s people, declaring their beauty and the promise of a future leader who will rise like a star from Jacob. This passage reminds us of God’s faithfulness and the mysterious ways He works through even unlikely figures to reveal His plan. The second reading from Matthew shifts the focus to Jesus, who is questioned by the religious leaders about the source of His authority. Jesus responds with a question about John the Baptist, forcing His interrogators—and us—to confront the origins of true authority and the nature of belief.
These readings are connected by the theme of authority and its divine origin. In the first reading, Balaam’s authority comes from God, who compels him to speak the truth despite his initial intentions. In the Gospel, Jesus’ authority is similarly divine, but the leaders refuse to acknowledge it, trapped as they are in their own pride and fear. Both readings challenge us to reflect on where we place our trust and how we respond to God’s voice in our lives. Do we, like Balaam, allow ourselves to be instruments of God’s truth, even when it goes against our expectations? Or do we, like the leaders, close ourselves off to the divine because it threatens our own power or understanding?
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I open to hearing God’s voice, even when it comes through unexpected people or circumstances? Do I recognize the authority of God in my life, or do I try to control everything according to my own plans? The moral lesson here is clear: true authority comes from God, and we must approach it with humility and openness. Let us strive to be like Balaam, who, despite his flaws, allowed himself to be a vessel for God’s truth. And let us avoid the mistake of the leaders, who allowed fear and pride to blind them to the divine presence in their midst. May we always seek to align our wills with God’s, trusting in His plan and surrendering to His grace.