Daily Readings - Mon Jun 20 2022
2 Kings
5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.6In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.7For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,8And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.13Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.14Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.15And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.18Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
Matthew
1Judge not, that ye be not judged.2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Sermon
The first reading from 2 Kings recounts the fall of Israel, highlighting their disobedience and idolatry, which led to their captivity. The Israelites turned away from God, worshipped false idols, and ignored the prophets' warnings, resulting in their exile. This serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of spiritual rebellion and the importance of heeding divine guidance.
In the Gospel, Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus teaches about the dangers of hypocrisy and judgment. He urges us to examine our own faults before correcting others, using the vivid metaphor of a plank in one's own eye. This emphasizes the need for self-awareness and humility in our interactions with others.
Both readings connect through their focus on self-reflection and accountability. The fall of Israel reminds us of the consequences of ignoring our sins, while Jesus' teaching encourages us to address our own shortcomings first. In daily life, this calls us to humility and introspection, prompting us to look inward before judging others. The moral lesson is clear: true wisdom lies in recognizing our own flaws and seeking personal growth, fostering a more compassionate and just community.