Daily Readings - Mon Mar 11 2019
Leviticus
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.11Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.13Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.14Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.15Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.16Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.17Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.18Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Matthew
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Sermon
The readings today remind us of the profound connection between our actions and our relationship with God. In the first reading from Leviticus, we are called to holiness through specific moral guidelines: not stealing, not lying, not oppressing others, and treating all people justly. These commands are not just rules; they are a way of life that reflects the holiness of God. The passage emphasizes that true holiness is lived out in our everyday interactions with others, especially the most vulnerable among us.
In the Gospel, Jesus paints a vivid picture of the final judgment, where he separates the sheep from the goats based on how they treated the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. Those who served the least among them served Jesus himself, while those who ignored them turned away from Jesus. This passage is not about grand gestures but about the small, consistent acts of love and compassion we show to others every day. It reminds us that our faith is not just about what we believe but about how we live out those beliefs in service to others.
These readings challenge us to reflect on how we live our daily lives. Are we treating others with justice and kindness? Are we seeing Christ in those around us, especially in those who are marginalized or overlooked? The moral lesson is clear: holiness is not about extraordinary achievements but about the ordinary, everyday choices we make to love and serve others. Let us strive to live with integrity, compassion, and a deep awareness that every interaction is an opportunity to encounter Christ. In doing so, we not only build a more just and loving world but also prepare ourselves for eternal life with God.