Daily Readings - Thu Jul 06 2023
Genesis
1After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."2He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."3So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.5Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.7And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"8Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.9When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.11But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."12He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."13And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.14So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."15And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven16and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,18and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
Matthew
1And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.2And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."4But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?5For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home."7And he rose and went home.8When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the dramatic test of Abraham’s faith, where he is asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a holocaust. Abraham, despite the profound pain and confusion this command must have brought, obeys without hesitation, trusting that God’s plan is greater than his own understanding. At the last moment, God intervenes, providing a ram as a substitute for Isaac, and Abraham’s faith is rewarded with a promise of blessings for generations to come. This story is a timeless reminder of the depth of faith required to surrender our will to God, even when the path ahead seems unclear or difficult.
In the Gospel, we see another expression of faith, this time in the healing of the paralytic. The man’s friends demonstrate extraordinary trust in Jesus, carrying him to the Lord despite the obstacles in their way. Jesus, seeing their faith, first forgives the man’s sins and then heals his body. This miracle not only highlights Jesus’ divine authority but also teaches us that true healing begins with the forgiveness of sins. The scribes, who question Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, are reminded that God’s power is not limited to the physical realm but extends to the deepest recesses of the human heart.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and trust in our own lives. Like Abraham, we are often called to surrender our plans and desires to God’s will, even when it feels challenging or inexplicable. Like the paralytic and his friends, we are called to trust in Jesus’ power to heal and transform us, both spiritually and physically. In a world filled with uncertainty, these stories encourage us to place our hope in God, knowing that He sees our struggles and will provide for us in ways we cannot yet imagine. Let us strive to imitate the faith of Abraham and the perseverance of the paralytic’s friends, trusting that God’s plan for us is always one of love and redemption.