Daily Readings - Mon Dec 16 2024
Numbers
2And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him,3and he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,4the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:5How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!6Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.7Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.15And he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,16the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Matthew
23And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"24Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'26But if we say, 'From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet."27So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of authority, truth, and integrity. The first reading from Numbers presents us with the figure of Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet who, despite being commissioned to curse Israel, finds himself compelled by God to bless them instead. His vision of Israel’s beauty and future glory underscores God’s sovereignty and the ultimate triumph of His people. The Gospel reading shifts our focus to Jesus in the temple, where religious leaders challenge His authority. Jesus, in turn, questions them about the origin of John the Baptist’s authority, leaving them trapped by their own hypocrisy and fear of the crowd. His response highlights the tension between human authority and divine truth.
The connection between these readings lies in their exploration of authority and its sources. Balaam, though an outsider, becomes a vessel for God’s truth, while Jesus confronts the religious leaders’ attempt to assert their own authority over Him. Both stories remind us that true authority comes not from human power or consensus but from God. Balaam’s prophecy and Jesus’ teaching reveal that those who speak on behalf of God must do so with integrity, even when it challenges the status quo.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine where we ground our own authority and truth. Are we like Balaam, willing to let God’s Spirit guide us even when it goes against our intentions? Or are we like the religious leaders, more concerned with maintaining power and approval? Let us seek to align our wills with God’s, trusting in His plan and speaking the truth with courage and humility. May we, like Balaam, gaze upon the beauty of God’s people and, like Jesus, stand firm in our commitment to His truth, even when the world questions our authority.