Daily Readings - Tue Jul 04 2017

First Reading - Genesis 19.15-29

¹⁵And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.¹⁶And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.¹⁷And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.¹⁸And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:¹⁹Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:²⁰Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.²¹And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.²²Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.²³The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.²⁴Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;²⁵And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.²⁶But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.²⁷And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:²⁸And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.²⁹And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Gospel - Matthew 8.23-27

Matthew

Chapter 8

²³And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.²⁴And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.²⁵And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.²⁶And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.²⁷But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust and faith in God's providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, Abraham's nephew, finds himself in a precarious situation as the angels of the Lord urge him to flee the wicked cities. Despite his hesitation, the angels guide him and his family to safety, though his wife's glance back results in her turning into a pillar of salt. This story serves as a reminder of the importance of trusting in God's plan, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus and His disciples facing a tempest while on a boat. The disciples, overwhelmed by fear, awaken Jesus, who calmly commands the storm to cease, demonstrating His divine authority over nature. This miracle not only showcases Jesus' power but also highlights the disciples' journey from fear to faith, urging us to trust in God's presence during life's turbulent moments. These readings interconnectedly remind us that faith is not about the absence of fear but about trusting in God's providence amidst life's challenges. Just as Lot needed to trust the angels and the disciples needed to trust Jesus, we too are called to place our trust in God. In our daily lives, we face our own storms—whether personal struggles, uncertainties, or global crises. Let us draw strength from these stories, remembering that God is always with us, guiding us through the chaos. May we, like the disciples, move from fear to faith, trusting that God's plan is greater than our understanding.