Daily Readings - Mon Dec 14 2020
Numbers
2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.3And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:4He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:5How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!6As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.7He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.15And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:16He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:17I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
Matthew
23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?24And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.25The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?26But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments of prophecy and authority. The first reading from Numbers describes Balaam, a man gifted with the ability to see visions from God. Despite being hired to curse Israel, Balaam instead praises God’s people, declaring their beauty and the promise of a future leader who will rise like a star from Jacob. This passage reminds us of God’s faithfulness and the mysterious ways He works through even unlikely figures to reveal His plan. The second reading from Matthew shifts the focus to Jesus, who is questioned by the religious leaders about the source of His authority. Jesus responds with a question about John the Baptist, forcing His interrogators—and us—to confront the origins of true authority and the nature of belief.
These readings are connected by the theme of authority and its divine origin. In the first reading, Balaam’s authority comes from God, who compels him to speak the truth despite his initial intentions. In the Gospel, Jesus’ authority is similarly divine, but the leaders refuse to acknowledge it, trapped as they are in their own pride and fear. Both readings challenge us to reflect on where we place our trust and how we respond to God’s voice in our lives. Do we, like Balaam, allow ourselves to be instruments of God’s truth, even when it goes against our expectations? Or do we, like the leaders, close ourselves off to the divine because it threatens our own power or understanding?
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I open to hearing God’s voice, even when it comes through unexpected people or circumstances? Do I recognize the authority of God in my life, or do I try to control everything according to my own plans? The moral lesson here is clear: true authority comes from God, and we must approach it with humility and openness. Let us strive to be like Balaam, who, despite his flaws, allowed himself to be a vessel for God’s truth. And let us avoid the mistake of the leaders, who allowed fear and pride to blind them to the divine presence in their midst. May we always seek to align our wills with God’s, trusting in His plan and surrendering to His grace.