Daily Readings - Tue Jun 16 2020
1 Kings
17And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.19And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.20And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.21Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,22And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.23And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.24Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.25But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.26And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,29Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
Matthew
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
The readings today present us with powerful lessons about sin, repentance, and the boundless love of God. In the first reading from 1 Kings, we see the story of Ahab, a king who allowed his greed and corruption to lead him into grave sin. Elijah confronts Ahab with a stern prophecy of judgment for his actions, yet we also witness the mercy of God when Ahab humbles himself and repents. This passage reminds us that while sin has consequences, God’s love and forgiveness are always available to those who turn to Him with a contrite heart.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to rethink our understanding of love. He tells us to love not just our neighbors but also our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to strive for perfection as our heavenly Father is perfect. This teaching is radical because it goes against our natural inclination to love only those who love us and to ignore or resent those who wrong us. Jesus calls us to a higher standard—one that reflects the universal love of God, who sends rain and sunshine alike on the just and the unjust.
These readings are connected by the theme of God’s mercy and the call to holiness. Ahab’s story shows us that even in the midst of sin, repentance can lead to mercy. Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel takes this a step further, inviting us to live in such a way that we reflect God’s love to all people, regardless of how they treat us. In our daily lives, this means examining our own hearts for areas where we may have turned away from God and seeking His forgiveness. It also means practicing love and kindness, even when it is difficult, as a way of living out our faith and growing in holiness. Let us strive to be like our Father in heaven, who loves without condition and without limit.