Daily Readings - Mon Dec 13 2021
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 profound moments that invite us to reflect on the nature of authority and prophecy. The first reading from Numbers presents Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, who, despite being an outsider, is chosen by God to deliver a message of hope and promise to Israel. Balaam’s prophecy speaks of a future leader, a star rising from Jacob, which we recognize as a foreshadowing of Christ. This reminds us that God’s plan of salvation extends beyond the boundaries of Israel, embracing all nations.
In the Gospel, Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders who question his authority. Jesus responds with a question about John the Baptist, forcing them to confront their own unbelief. Their evasion reveals their resistance to the truth, highlighting the tension between human authority and divine authority. This exchange challenges us to examine our own willingness to accept God’s messengers and the truths they bring.
These readings call us to humility and openness. Like Balaam, we may encounter truth in unexpected places, and like the leaders, we may be tempted to resist it. Let us seek to recognize God’s voice in our lives, even when it comes through unlikely sources. May we embrace the humility to acknowledge God’s authority and the courage to follow where it leads us.