Daily Readings - Mon Jun 26 2017
First Reading - Genesis 12.1-9
Genesis
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Gospel - Matthew 7.1-5
Matthew
Judge not, that ye be not judged.For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound lessons from Scripture that guide us in our faith journey. The first reading from Genesis 12:1-9 narrates the story of Abram, who, at God's command, leaves his homeland, family, and everything familiar to embark on a journey to an unknown land. This act of obedience is rooted in Abram's trust in God's promise to make him the father of a great nation. The reading highlights Abram's unwavering faith and his willingness to step into the unknown, demonstrating the essence of trust and obedience in God's plan.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 7:1-5 presents Jesus' teaching on judgment and hypocrisy. Jesus admonishes us not to judge others, emphasizing that we will be judged by the same standards we use to judge others. He illustrates this with the metaphor of seeing a splinter in another's eye while ignoring the plank in our own, urging us to first remove our own faults before addressing those of others. This teaching underscores the importance of self-reflection and humility in our interactions with others.
These readings, though from different parts of the Bible, share a common theme of trust and integrity. Abram's story teaches us to trust in God's providence, even when the path is uncertain. Jesus' teaching reminds us to examine our own lives before judging others, fostering humility and compassion. Together, they call us to live with faith and integrity, trusting God's plan while striving to be better versions of ourselves. Let us embrace these lessons, trusting in God's guidance and approaching others with kindness and self-awareness.