Daily Readings - Fri Aug 02 2019
Leviticus
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,4These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.5In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.7In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.8But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:11And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.15And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.27Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.34Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.35On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.36Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.37These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
Matthew
54And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?55Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?57And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Sermon
The first reading from Leviticus describes the sacred feasts of the Israelites, which were not just cultural traditions but deeply spiritual practices. These feasts—such as the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles—were instituted by God to remind the people of His mighty acts of salvation and to draw them into a deeper relationship with Him. They were times of celebration, sacrifice, and renewal, rooted in the history of Israel’s deliverance and covenant with God. The feasts also pointed forward, in a way, to the ultimate sacrifice and salvation that would come through Christ.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus returning to His hometown of Nazareth, where He teaches in the synagogue. The people are amazed by His wisdom and power, yet they are also scandalized because they know Him as the son of a carpenter. Their familiarity with Jesus leads to unbelief, and as a result, He is unable to perform many miracles there. Jesus responds by saying that a prophet is not honored in his own house—a reminder that faith often falters in the face of familiarity or comfort.
These readings remind us that faith requires us to move beyond our limited perspectives and to trust in God’s presence and plan, even when it seems ordinary or unexpected. The feasts in Leviticus call us to remember God’s saving acts and to live in gratitude and awe. Similarly, the Gospel challenges us to avoid the kind of unbelief that comes from thinking we already know God or that He cannot work in our lives in new and surprising ways. Let us ask for the grace to cultivate a deeper faith, to see God’s hand at work in our lives, and to trust in His providence, even when it seems closest to home.