Daily Readings - Sat Jul 23 2022
Jeremiah
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:2"Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD.3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.4Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'5"For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another,6if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm,7then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.8"Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.9Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,10and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'--only to go on doing all these abominations?11Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.
Matthew
24He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?'28He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'29But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our commitment to living a life of faith and integrity. The first reading from Jeremiah confronts us with a call to repentance and authenticity in our worship of God. Jeremiah stands at the gates of the Temple, urging the people to examine their lives and their intentions. He warns them against false confidence in the Temple’s presence while continuing to live in sin and injustice. The Lord calls them to make their ways and intentions good, to act justly, and to care for the vulnerable. Jeremiah’s message is clear: true worship is not about rituals or empty words but about living a life that reflects God’s justice and love.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents us with a parable about the kingdom of heaven, where good seed and weeds grow together in the same field. The master of the house allows both to grow until the harvest, trusting that in the end, the wheat will be separated from the weeds. This parable reminds us that the kingdom of God is not about quick fixes or immediate judgments but about patience and trust in God’s plan. It also challenges us to examine our own lives: are we the wheat, living in accordance with God’s will, or are we the weeds, allowing sin and selfishness to take root?
Both readings invite us to reflect on the state of our hearts and lives. Jeremiah’s call to justice and integrity and Jesus’ parable about the kingdom of heaven remind us that our faith must be lived out in concrete actions. We cannot simply go through the motions of religious practice while neglecting the call to love and serve others. True faith requires us to examine our intentions, to root out sin, and to trust in God’s plan, even when the journey is uncertain. Let us ask ourselves: Are we living in a way that reflects the justice and love of God? Do we trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems messy and imperfect? May we strive to be the wheat, growing in holiness and patience, as we await the harvest of God’s kingdom.