Daily Readings - Fri Jul 05 2024
Amos
4Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end,5saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances,6that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?"9"And on that day," declares the Lord GOD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.10I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.11"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land--not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.12They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.
Matthew
9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"12But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about justice and mercy. The prophet Amos denounces the social injustices of his time, where the wealthy exploit the poor, using deceptive trade practices and ignoring the needs of the vulnerable. He warns of a spiritual famine, a time when people will seek God's word but find it absent. This serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting the marginalized.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges societal norms by calling Matthew, a tax collector, and dining with sinners. The Pharisees question Jesus' actions, prompting him to emphasize that his mission is to bring mercy to those who have strayed, quoting Hosea to highlight the importance of compassion over rigid adherence to the law. This illustrates Jesus' commitment to reaching out to the outcasts and showing them God's love.
These readings together call us to reflect on our own lives. We must balance the pursuit of justice for the oppressed with the practice of mercy towards those who have erred. Let us examine our actions to ensure we do not exploit others and that we extend compassion to those around us. By living with integrity and kindness, we embody the teachings of both Amos and Jesus, fostering a world where justice and mercy coexist.