Daily Readings - Wed Jul 23 2025
Exodus
1They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.2And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,3and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."4Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily."9Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'"10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.11And the LORD said to Moses,12"I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp.14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
Matthew
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.9He who has ears, let him hear."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s providence and our response to His Word. In the first reading from Exodus, the Israelites find themselves in the desert, murmuring against Moses and Aaron because of their hunger and frustration. They had left the abundance of Egypt but now felt abandoned. Yet, in their despair, God provides manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain them. This gift was not only physical sustenance but also a test of their trust in Him. The Israelites were to gather only what they needed each day, learning to rely on God’s daily provision rather than their own efforts.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, which speaks to how we receive the Word of God. The seed falls on different types of soil, representing the various ways people respond to God’s message. Some hearts are hard and unresponsive, like the rocky ground; others are distracted by the cares of the world, like the thorny soil. But the good soil, fertile and open, bears abundant fruit. Jesus’ parable reminds us that our receptivity to God’s Word determines its fruitfulness in our lives.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. The Israelites in the desert had to learn to trust in God’s daily provision, even when the future seemed uncertain. Similarly, Jesus invites us to cultivate hearts that are open and receptive to His Word. In our daily lives, we often face challenges and uncertainties, but these are opportunities to deepen our faith. Let us ask ourselves: Do we grumble and doubt, or do we trust in God’s providence? Do we allow the cares of the world to choke the Word in our hearts, or do we nurture it with prayer and gratitude? May we strive to be like the good soil, bearing fruit in abundance, and may we remember that God’s grace is always sufficient for us, even in the wilderness.