Daily Readings - Mon Jul 02 2018
Amos
6Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;7That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:8And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.9Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.10Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.13Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.14Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:15Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.16And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
Matthew
18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.19And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.20And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.21And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.22But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of commitment and discipleship. In the first reading from the prophet Amos, we encounter a stern warning from God to the people of Israel. Despite their prosperity, they have turned away from justice and exploited the poor. Amos condemns their hypocrisy and warns of impending judgment if they do not return to a life of integrity and compassion. The context of this passage is a time of relative peace and wealth in Israel, but also of moral decay. Amos calls the people back to their covenant with God, reminding them that true faith must be lived out in how they treat the vulnerable.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the radical commitment required to follow him. When a scribe offers to follow Jesus anywhere, Jesus responds by highlighting the cost of discipleship—there is no guarantee of comfort or security. Another disciple asks to delay following Jesus to bury his father, but Jesus insists that the call to follow must take precedence. The context here is Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, where he is gathering disciples to join him in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. These exchanges emphasize that following Jesus is not a part-time or conditional commitment; it demands our full and immediate attention.
Both readings remind us that faith is not a passive or comfortable endeavor. Amos challenges us to live out our faith in justice and compassion, while Jesus calls us to leave behind distractions and follow him without hesitation. In our daily lives, this means being willing to make sacrifices, to stand up for what is right, and to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. The moral lesson is clear: discipleship comes with a cost, but it is a cost worth paying. Let us examine our own commitments and ask ourselves if we are truly living as followers of Christ, ready to embrace the challenges and uncertainties that come with that calling.