Daily Readings - Sat Jul 31 2021
Leviticus
1And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,8And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.9Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.10And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.11A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.12For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.13In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.14And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:15According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:16According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.17Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.
Matthew
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,2And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.6But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.8And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.11And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on justice, integrity, and the consequences of our choices. The first reading from Leviticus presents the Jubilee year, a time of renewal and restoration. Every 50 years, debts were forgiven, land was returned to its original owners, and society was reset to ensure equality and fairness. This practice was rooted in the belief that all things belong to God, and it served as a reminder of God’s justice and mercy. The Jubilee was not just an economic or social policy but a spiritual imperative, calling the people to trust in God’s providence and to live in harmony with one another.
The Gospel reading from Matthew contrasts this vision of justice with a story of grave injustice. Herod, influenced by his own desires and the manipulations of Herodias, has John the Baptist beheaded. John had spoken truth to power, calling Herod to account for his sinful actions, and this cost him his life. This passage reminds us that living according to God’s will can sometimes lead to suffering, but it also highlights the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity. John’s martyrdom is a testament to the enduring power of truth and the ultimate triumph of God’s justice over human corruption.
These readings challenge us to reflect on how we live out our faith in our daily lives. The Jubilee year calls us to consider how we treat others, especially those in need, and to strive for fairness and compassion in all our interactions. John the Baptist’s courage in the face of death reminds us to stand firm in our commitment to justice and to trust in God’s plan, even when the consequences are difficult. May we, like John, have the strength to speak truth and, like the Jubilee, create spaces of renewal and reconciliation in our world.