Daily Readings - Sun Nov 27 2022

¹The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.²It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,³and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.⁴He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.⁵O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Romans

Chapter 13

¹¹Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.¹²The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.¹³Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Matthew

Chapter 24

³⁷As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,³⁹and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.⁴²Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.⁴³But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of preparation, vigilance, and the ultimate hope of God’s kingdom. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a vision of a future where all nations stream to the mountain of the Lord, where swords are beaten into plowshares and peace reigns. This is not just a distant dream but a call to live in a way that anticipates and reflects this reality. Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us that God’s plan is one of unity and harmony, and we are called to walk in the light of the Lord. The second reading from Romans and the Gospel of Matthew amplify this call to readiness. Paul urges us to cast aside the works of darkness and live as children of the light, for our salvation is near. Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel, warns us to stay vigilant, comparing the coming of the Son of Man to the days of Noah—when people were caught off guard by the flood. Just as Noah was prepared, we too must be prepared for the Lord’s return. This is not about fear but about living with purpose and intentionality, trusting that God’s timing is perfect. These readings remind us that our daily lives are an opportunity to reflect God’s kingdom. We are called to live honestly, to love without envy or contention, and to be clothed in Christ. In a world often marked by division and conflict, we are to be signs of hope, living in a way that anticipates the peace and unity God promises. Let us approach each day with gratitude and vigilance, knowing that we are not only preparing for the future but also living out the kingdom of God in the present.