Daily Readings - Sat Aug 05 2017
First Reading - Leviticus 25.1, 8-17
Leviticus
1And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,8And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.9Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.10And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.11A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.12For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.13In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.14And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:15According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:16According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.17Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.
Gospel - Matthew 14.1-12
Matthew
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,2And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.6But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.8And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.11And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of justice, integrity, and the consequences of our choices. In the first reading from Leviticus, we hear about the Jubilee year, a time when debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was returned to its original owners. This practice was meant to restore balance and equality among God’s people, ensuring that no one would be permanently disadvantaged. It was a reminder that everything belongs to God, and we are only stewards of His creation. The Jubilee year was not just an economic or social policy but a deeply spiritual one, calling the people to live in harmony with God’s will and to trust in His providence.
In the Gospel, we see a stark contrast as Herod’s story unfolds. Herod, influenced by his sinful desires and fear of losing face, orders the beheading of John the Baptist. John had spoken the truth, calling out Herod’s immoral union with his brother’s wife, and for that, he paid the ultimate price. This passage reminds us of the cost of integrity and the dangers of allowing sin to take root in our hearts. Herod’s actions were driven by pride and fear, leading to a tragic outcome that could have been avoided if he had chosen to repent and seek justice.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Like the Jubilee, we are called to live in a way that promotes fairness, compassion, and trust in God’s plan. We must not let sin and pride guide our decisions, as Herod did, but instead, we must strive to live with integrity, even when it is difficult. In our daily lives, this might mean standing up for what is right, even if it is unpopular, or letting go of grudges and injustices, just as the Jubilee required. Let us pray for the courage to follow God’s will and to trust in His justice, remembering that true freedom comes from living in harmony with His commandments.