Daily Readings - Tue Mar 18 2025
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 others. In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks to a people who have wandered far from God’s ways, calling them to repentance and a return to justice. He urges them to move beyond outward appearances of piety and instead embrace a life of genuine conversion, seeking to do good and uphold the vulnerable. Isaiah reminds us that our actions have consequences, and while God’s mercy is always available, it requires us to turn away from sin and toward justice.
In the Gospel, Jesus critiques the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. While they teach the law and emphasize outward signs of religiosity, their actions do not match their words. Jesus warns against the temptation to seek recognition and power, whether in religious or social contexts. He calls his followers to a different way: one of humility, service, and authenticity. True greatness, he says, is found in lowering ourselves and serving others, not in seeking titles or admiration.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Are we living out our faith in a way that reflects genuine love for God and neighbor, or are we content with superficial appearances? Do we seek to serve others, or do we hunger for recognition and status? Isaiah and Jesus remind us that true faith is not about outward show but about the condition of our hearts. Let us strive to live with humility, justice, and compassion, knowing that it is in surrendering our pride and embracing simplicity that we find true greatness in God’s eyes.