Daily Readings - Tue Feb 27 2024
Isaiah
10Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!16Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,17learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.18"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.19If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;20but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."27Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.28But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.31And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.
Matthew
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,3so practice and observe whatever they tell you--but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.11The greatest among you shall be your servant.12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Sermon
The readings today offer a powerful call to authenticity and humility in our relationship with God and with one another. In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks to a people who have wandered far from God’s ways. He calls them to repentance, urging them to seek justice, support the oppressed, and defend the vulnerable. Isaiah emphasizes that true conversion is not about outward appearances but about a change of heart. If they turn back to God with sincerity, their sins, though deep, will be washed clean. This passage reminds us that our faith must be lived out in concrete actions of love and justice.
In the Gospel, Jesus critiques the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. While they teach the law, they fail to live it out in their own lives. They burden others with rules they do not follow themselves and seek praise and recognition for their outward piety. Jesus warns his disciples against imitating such behavior. True greatness, he says, is found in humility and service, not in seeking power or status. He reminds us that we have only one Teacher, one Father, and one Master—God himself. This teaching challenges us to examine our own motivations and actions, ensuring that they align with the values of the Kingdom of God.
Both readings call us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith. Isaiah urges us to move beyond superficial religion and to live out our faith in deeds of justice and compassion. Jesus warns us against the temptation to prioritize appearances over true humility and service. In our daily lives, we are invited to ask: Are our actions guided by a sincere desire to follow God’s will, or are they driven by a desire for recognition or power? Let us strive to live with integrity, seeking to serve rather than be served, and to humbly acknowledge our dependence on God. In doing so, we will find true greatness in the eyes of God.