Daily Readings - Fri Aug 13 2021
Joshua
1Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God.2And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.3Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac.4And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.5And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.6"'Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.7And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time.8Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you.9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you,10but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand.11And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand.12And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.13I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.'
Matthew
3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"4He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,5and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'?6So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."7They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?"8He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.9And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."10The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry."11But he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful reflections on commitment and fidelity, central to both the Old and New Testaments. The first reading from Joshua 24:1-13 recounts the history of the Israelites, highlighting God's faithfulness and the people's covenant with Him. Joshua reminds them of their ancestors' journey from serving other gods to experiencing God's deliverance and provision. This narrative serves as a call to renew their commitment to God, emphasizing fidelity and trust in His providence.
The Gospel from Matthew 19:3-12 shifts focus to Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce. He underscores the sacred nature of marriage as a union between man and woman, reflecting God's original design. Jesus teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant, not to be taken lightly or dissolved except in specific circumstances. This teaching challenges the disciples, leading to a discussion on celibacy and the call to live according to God's will, whether through marriage or singleness.
Both readings converge on the theme of covenant and fidelity. Joshua's call to remember God's faithfulness and Jesus' emphasis on the indissolubility of marriage invite us to reflect on our commitments. In our daily lives, this means nurturing our relationships with perseverance and self-giving love, mirroring God's unwavering commitment to us. Let us recommit to our relationships, whether with God or others, embracing the challenges and joys with faith and fidelity. May we, like the Israelites, choose to serve God faithfully, and may our relationships reflect His enduring love.