Daily Readings - Thu Jul 23 2020
Jeremiah
1Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,2Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.3Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.7And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.8The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.12Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.13For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Matthew
10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.17For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey through themes of faithfulness and spiritual understanding. The first reading from Jeremiah paints a vivid picture of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Once a devoted people who followed God into the desert, they later turned to idols, defiling the land and forsaking the living water. Jeremiah's lament highlights the consequences of spiritual blindness, where the people's hearts grew hardened, leading them to dig broken cisterns that could not hold the true water of life.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus explaining the purpose of parables to His disciples. He reveals that while some are granted the gift of understanding the mysteries of the kingdom, others remain in darkness. This divide is not arbitrary but stems from the condition of the heart. Jesus quotes Isaiah, emphasizing that some see but do not perceive, hear but do not understand, their hearts having grown fat and their ears heavy. Yet, the disciples are blessed for their openness to see and hear, a gift many prophets and righteous individuals longed for but did not receive.
Both readings converge on the themes of faith as a gift and the perils of spiritual complacency. Jeremiah warns against turning away from God, while Matthew underscores the importance of receptivity to God's word. In our daily lives, we are called to cherish the gift of faith, avoiding modern idols that distract us from the living water. Let us remain vigilant, grateful for the spiritual sight and hearing we have, and use these gifts to live in accordance with God's will. May we not let our hearts grow fat, but instead stay open to God's grace, continually seeking to see, hear, and understand.