Daily Readings - Fri Jul 07 2017

First Reading - Genesis 23.1-4, 19; 24.1-8, 62-67

¹And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.²And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.³And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,⁴I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.¹⁹And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Chapter 24

¹And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.²And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:³And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:⁴But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.⁵And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?⁶And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.⁷The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.⁸And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.⁶²And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.⁶³And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.⁶⁴And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.⁶⁵For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.⁶⁶And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.⁶⁷And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Gospel - Matthew 9.9-13

Matthew

Chapter 9

⁹And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.¹⁰And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?¹²But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.¹³But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust, faith, and God's providence. The first reading from Genesis presents Abraham, a man of deep faith, who entrusts God with two significant life events: the burial of his wife Sarah and the marriage of his son Isaac. Abraham's trust in God is evident as he instructs his servant to find a wife for Isaac from his own kin, believing that God will guide the process. This trust is rewarded when Rebekah, a kind and generous woman, agrees to leave her home and marry Isaac, symbolizing God's faithfulness to His promises. The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who embodies God's mercy and compassion. Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, and later dines with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees question Jesus' actions, but He responds by emphasizing that His mission is to call sinners to repentance, not to condemn the righteous. Jesus' words, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice," remind us that God's heart is for those who are broken and in need of healing. These readings remind us that faith and trust in God's plan are essential for our lives. Like Abraham, we are called to trust God even when the future seems uncertain. Like Jesus, we are called to extend mercy and compassion to those around us, recognizing that we are all in need of God's grace. May we learn to trust in God's providence and to live out His mercy in our daily lives.