Daily Readings - Thu Aug 12 2021
Joshua
7And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.8And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.9And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.10And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.13And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.14And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;15And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)16That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.17And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Matthew
21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
1And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on trust in God’s providence and the call to live out mercy and forgiveness in our lives. In the first reading from Joshua, we witness the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, a pivotal moment in Israel’s journey into the Promised Land. The Lord assures Joshua that He will be with him just as He was with Moses, and the stopping of the Jordan’s waters is a powerful sign of God’s presence and power. This event reminds us that faith often requires us to step into the unknown, trusting that God will provide a way forward, even when the path seems impossible.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the boundless nature of forgiveness. Peter’s question about how many times we should forgive reflects a human tendency to limit God’s mercy, but Jesus responds by expanding our understanding: forgiveness is not a matter of counting but of generosity. The parable of the unforgiving servant underscores this message. The servant who is forgiven a great debt but refuses to forgive a smaller one is condemned for his lack of compassion. Jesus makes it clear that receiving God’s mercy requires us to extend that same mercy to others.
These readings are deeply connected. Just as the Israelites had to trust in God’s power to cross the Jordan, we too must trust in God’s mercy and allow it to transform our lives. Forgiveness is not just an act of the will; it is a spiritual response to the grace we have received. In our daily lives, we are called to imitate God’s mercy, even when it is difficult. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s plan and to forgive as we have been forgiven, that we might live as true children of the kingdom of heaven.