Daily Readings - Fri Jul 17 2020
Isaiah
1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,3And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.4Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,5Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.6And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.21For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.22Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?7And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;8Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
Matthew
1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;4How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that illuminate the essence of God's mercy and the balance between adherence to law and compassionate action. The first reading from Isaiah recounts King Hezekiah's illness and his heartfelt prayer to God. Despite the prophecy of his impending death, Hezekiah's sincere plea and faith lead to God's merciful extension of his life by 15 years. This passage underscores the power of prayer and God's willingness to show compassion, even in the face of mortality.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a different yet complementary scenario. Jesus and His disciples encounter criticism from the Pharisees for picking grain on the Sabbath, which was against traditional law. Jesus defends their actions by referencing precedents from the Old Testament, such as David eating the bread of Presence and priests working on the Sabbath. He emphasizes that human needs and mercy should sometimes take precedence over strict legal observance, declaring Himself the Lord of the Sabbath.
Both readings highlight the importance of mercy and compassion. Hezekiah's story shows that sincere prayer can move God's heart, while Jesus teaches that mercy should guide our actions, even when it challenges traditional norms. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God's mercy, approach Him with humility, and balance our actions with compassion, remembering that love and kindness are at the heart of our faith.