Daily Readings - Thu Jul 17 2025
Exodus
13Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"15God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.16Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt,17and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."'18And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.20So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound moments of divine encounter and invitation. In Exodus, Moses experiences a pivotal moment with God in the burning bush, where he is commissioned to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God reveals His name as "I AM WHO AM," a declaration of His eternal presence and power. This encounter is not just a call to action but a revelation of God's nature—ever-present and actively involved in the lives of His people. Moses, though initially hesitant, is assured of God's mighty hand that will see the Israelites through their captivity.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus extends an invitation to all who are weary and burdened, promising rest and refreshment. He invites us to take His yoke, emphasizing that it is easy and His burden light. This invitation is rooted in Jesus' humility and meekness, offering a different kind of leadership—one of service and compassion rather than oppression.
These readings beautifully intertwine the themes of divine call and rest. In Exodus, God's call to Moses is a call to trust in His power and presence, even in the face of daunting tasks. In Matthew, Jesus' invitation is a call to surrender our burdens, finding rest in Him. Together, they remind us that our strength comes not from ourselves but from God. In our daily lives, when faced with challenges, we are called to trust in God's plan and seek rest in Jesus. The moral lesson here is clear: trust in God's presence and promises, and surrender our burdens to Him, finding rest and strength in His will.