Daily Readings - Thu Jul 01 2021
Genesis
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.15And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,16And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Matthew
1And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.7And he arose, and departed to his house.8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and trust in God. The first reading from Genesis presents the dramatic story of Abraham being tested by God. Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. This test pushes Abraham to the limits of his faith, yet he trusts in God's promise and provision. Ultimately, God provides a ram as a substitute for Isaac, reinforcing the theme of divine providence and the depth of Abraham's faith.
The Gospel reading from Matthew offers a complementary narrative of faith and trust. Jesus encounters a paralytic man and, seeing the faith of those who brought him, forgives his sins and heals his body. This miracle not only demonstrates Jesus' authority to forgive sins but also highlights the connection between spiritual and physical healing. The crowd's response of fear and glorification of God underscores the awe-inspiring nature of Jesus' power and mercy.
Both readings invite us to reflect on how we trust in God's plan, even when it seems unclear or challenging. Abraham's willingness to obey God, despite the apparent absurdity of the command, teaches us to trust in divine providence. Similarly, the paralytic and his companions show us the power of persistent faith and the importance of seeking spiritual healing alongside physical restoration. In our daily lives, we are called to emulate this trust, surrendering our fears and doubts to God's loving care. May we, like Abraham and the paralytic, allow our faith to guide us, knowing that God sees, provides, and heals in ways beyond our understanding.