Daily Readings - Sun Feb 23 2020
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.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.
1 Corinthians
16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;23And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
Matthew
38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Sermon
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the profound themes of holiness, unity, and unconditional love. The first reading from Leviticus reminds us of the call to holiness, rooted in God’s own holiness, and the importance of loving our neighbor as ourselves. This text is part of the Holiness Code, a section of Leviticus that emphasizes living a life set apart for God, not just in ritual purity but in ethical behavior toward others. The second reading from 1 Corinthians challenges us to recognize that we are the Temple of God, and thus, we must avoid the corruption of worldly wisdom. Paul is addressing a church divided by factions and intellectual pride, urging them to embrace humility and unity in Christ. Finally, the Gospel from Matthew presents Jesus’ radical teaching on non-retaliation and love for enemies, a cornerstone of his Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is not abolishing the law but fulfilling it by calling his followers to a higher standard of love and mercy.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Leviticus establishes the foundation of holiness and love for neighbor, which is then expanded by Paul to include the entire community as the living Temple of God. Jesus, in the Gospel, takes this further by extending love not just to neighbors but even to enemies. Together, they remind us that our relationship with God is inseparable from our relationships with others. To be holy is to love without boundaries, to forgive without condition, and to live in a way that reflects God’s own perfection.
In our daily lives, these teachings call us to move beyond superficial kindness and to embrace a radical love that transforms how we interact with the world. It means resisting the urge to retaliate, whether in small slights or deeper injustices. It means seeing the image of God in everyone, even those who may oppose or hurt us. As we strive to live out this holiness, we are reminded that we are not alone. We are part of a community, the Body of Christ, and our actions reflect not only on ourselves but on the entire Body. Let us, therefore, seek to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, living with humility, forgiveness, and love that knows no bounds.