Daily Readings - Mon Jul 28 2025
Exodus
15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."18But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear."19And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.20He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.21And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"22And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.23For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'24So I said to them, 'Let any who have gold take it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people have sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.32But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written."33But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.34But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them."
Matthew
31He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."33He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."34All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, patience, and the transformative power of God's grace. The first reading from Exodus recounts the story of the golden calf, a moment of profound infidelity by the Israelites. While Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the people grow impatient and, in their fear and doubt, turn to idolatry. Moses, upon descending the mountain, is met with the sight of their sin, and in his anger, he shatters the tablets of the covenant. Yet, in the midst of this brokenness, Moses intercedes for his people, pleading with God to forgive their sin. This passage reminds us of the human tendency to falter and the importance of intercession and mercy.
The Gospel reading from Matthew offers a stark contrast through the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven begins small—like a tiny seed or a pinch of yeast—but it grows to transform the entire world. These parables invite us to trust in the slow, often invisible work of God’s grace in our lives and in the world. Just as the mustard seed becomes a tree that shelters the birds, and the leaven permeates the entire dough, so too can our small acts of faith and love lead to profound change.
Together, these readings challenge us to embrace both the reality of our weaknesses and the hope of transformation. Like the Israelites, we are prone to impatience and doubt, but like Moses, we can turn to God in prayer, seeking forgiveness and guidance. And like the mustard seed and the leaven, our faith, though it may seem small, has the power to grow and transform us. Let us cultivate patience and trust in God’s plan, knowing that even in our brokenness, God’s mercy and grace can bring new life.