Daily Readings - Sat Aug 05 2023
Leviticus
1The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying,8"You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.9Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.10And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.11That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines.12For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field.13"In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property.14And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another.15You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops.16If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you.17You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God.
Matthew
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus,2and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."3For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,4because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."5And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.6But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod,7so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.8Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."9And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.10He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,11and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.12And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on justice, integrity, and trust in God's providence. The first reading from Leviticus describes the Jubilee year, a time of liberation and restoration. Every 50 years, debts were forgiven, land was returned to its original owners, and society was renewed. This practice was rooted in the belief that all creation belongs to God, and it served as a reminder to trust in God’s provision rather than human wealth and power. The Jubilee was a call to live in harmony with God’s will, ensuring that no one was perpetually oppressed or marginalized.
The Gospel reading presents a stark contrast with the story of John the Baptist’s martyrdom. Herod, driven by fear and pride, silenced John for speaking the truth about his unlawful marriage. This tragic event highlights the consequences of sin and the misuse of power. John’s unwavering commitment to justice, even in the face of death, stands as a testament to the importance of integrity and standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
These readings remind us that living a life of faith requires both justice and integrity. Like the Jubilee, we are called to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, free from oppression. Like John the Baptist, we must be willing to stand up for truth, even when it challenges those in power. In our daily lives, this means advocating for fairness, protecting the vulnerable, and trusting in God’s plan, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Let us strive to live with the courage of John and the compassion of the Jubilee, trusting that God will guide us in building a more just and loving world.