Daily Readings - Tue Jul 02 2019
Genesis
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.
Matthew
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 faith, trust, and God's providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Lot and his family being led to safety as Sodom and Gomorrah face destruction. Despite the angels' urgent warnings, Lot hesitates, revealing a mixture of faith and doubt. His wife, unable to let go of what is behind her, becomes a pillar of salt, a poignant reminder of the consequences of looking back. Meanwhile, Abraham, who had interceded for the cities, stands as a figure of hope, trusting in God's justice and mercy.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a different kind of storm—this time, a tempest on the sea. Jesus, asleep in the boat, is awakened by his disciples, who are consumed by fear. With a word, he calms the winds and the waves, leaving the disciples in awe. This miracle is not just a display of power but a lesson in trust. Jesus' question, "Why are you afraid, O little in faith?" cuts to the heart of their doubt and ours. It reminds us that faith is not the absence of fear but the willingness to place our trust in God even when the world around us seems to be unraveling.
These readings, though separated by centuries, speak to a common truth: our faith is tested in the storms of life. Like Lot, we may hesitate or look back, fearing what lies ahead. Like the disciples, we may doubt God's presence in the chaos. Yet, in both stories, we see the hand of God at work—saving Lot, calming the sea. They remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God's plan, even when the path is uncertain. Let us, then, turn our gaze away from the chaos and fix our eyes on the Lord, who is always near, always in control. In Him, we find the peace that surpasses all understanding.