Daily Readings - Tue Jul 23 2024
Micah
14Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.15As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.18Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.19He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.20You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
Matthew
46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.48But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound messages from both the Old and New Testaments that guide us in understanding God's mercy and our role within His family. The first reading from Micah offers a vision of hope and redemption. Micah, speaking to a distressed Israel, reminds us of God's faithfulness and mercy. He portrays God as a shepherd tending to His people, promising forgiveness and the casting away of sins. This message is set against the backdrop of Israel's struggles, emphasizing that even in darkness, God's mercy endures.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who redefines family. When His biological relatives approach, Jesus expands the concept of kinship to include all who do God's will. This teaching, rooted in the context of Jesus' ministry emphasizing the kingdom of God, invites us to see our spiritual family as those united in faith and action. Together, Micah and Matthew highlight the dual aspects of God's nature: His mercy and His call to live according to His will.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace both the reception of God's mercy and the active pursuit of His will. We are called to live as part of God's family, not just by birth but by our deeds. This means serving others with love and compassion, reflecting God's mercy in our interactions. The moral lesson here is the transformative power of spiritual kinship and the call to embody God's love in all we do, thereby living as true members of His family.