Daily Readings - Fri Jul 21 2023
Exodus
10Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,2"This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.3Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.4And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,6and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.7"Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.8They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.10And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.11In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover.12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.13The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.14"This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
Matthew
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath."3He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:4how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?5Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.7And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on God’s mercy, freedom, and the importance of understanding the deeper meaning behind sacred laws. The first reading from Exodus recounts the institution of the Passover, a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. God instructs the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of death will “pass over” their homes, sparing their firstborn sons. This rite is not just a ritual; it is a sign of God’s covenant love and His plan to free His people from slavery. The Passover becomes a perpetual reminder of God’s saving action and the foundation of Israel’s identity as a people set apart for Him.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisees’ rigid interpretation of the Sabbath law when His disciples pick grain to eat on the Sabbath. Jesus defends their actions by referencing King David, who ate the bread of the Presence reserved for priests, and by pointing out that the priests themselves work on the Sabbath in the temple. He emphasizes that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath. Jesus declares Himself the Lord of the Sabbath, asserting His authority to interpret God’s law in a way that prioritizes mercy and human need over strict legalism.
These readings are connected by the theme of freedom and the proper understanding of God’s laws. In Exodus, the Passover is a law that brings freedom, while in Matthew, Jesus frees us from a narrow, legalistic interpretation of the Sabbath. Both readings remind us that God’s commands are not arbitrary rules but expressions of His love and care for His people. As we apply this to our daily lives, we are called to approach rules and traditions with discernment, ensuring that they serve the greater good and do not become obstacles to compassion and mercy. Let us ask ourselves: Do we allow God’s mercy and love to guide our actions, or do we get caught up in rigid adherence to rules? May we, like Jesus, always prioritize love and freedom, remembering that we are called to be instruments of God’s mercy in the world.