Daily Readings - Fri Jun 16 2023

⁶"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.⁷It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,⁸but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.⁹Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,¹⁰and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.¹¹You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.

1 John

Chapter 4

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Matthew

Chapter 11

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;²⁶yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.²⁷All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the profound themes of God’s love, humility, and the transformative power of faith. The first reading from Deuteronomy reminds us that God’s choice of Israel was not based on their size or strength but on His love and faithfulness. This passage, part of Moses’ farewell address, emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and His people, urging them to remain faithful to His commandments. The second reading from 1 John deepens this theme by declaring that love is not just a feeling but the very essence of God’s nature. John writes that love originates from God, and those who love demonstrate that they are born of Him. The Gospel from Matthew complements these readings by highlighting Jesus’ humility and invitation to all who are weary to find rest in Him. Jesus emphasizes that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, contrasting the simplicity of faith with the complexities of human wisdom. These readings are interconnected in their emphasis on the relationship between God’s love and our response to it. In Deuteronomy, God’s love is seen in His covenant faithfulness and redemption of Israel. In 1 John, love is the defining characteristic of God’s nature, and it is through love that we come to know Him. In Matthew, Jesus embodies this love, offering rest to those who are burdened. Together, these readings remind us that God’s love is not something we earn but something we receive and then share with others. They also call us to humility, recognizing that true wisdom comes from God, not from human pride or self-reliance. As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are challenged to live with humility and to let God’s love shape our actions and relationships. In a world often marked by division and self-interest, we are called to be instruments of God’s love, just as Jesus was. This means embracing the simplicity of faith, trusting in God’s providence, and loving one another as He has loved us. Let us reflect on how we can live out this love in our families, communities, and workplaces, remembering that God’s love is not just a feeling but a choice that transforms lives. May we, like the “little ones” Jesus speaks of, receive His truth with open hearts and find rest in His presence.