Daily Readings - Fri Jul 28 2023
Exodus
1And God spake all these words, saying,2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.13Thou shalt not kill.14Thou shalt not commit adultery.15Thou shalt not steal.16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Matthew
18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Sermon
In today's readings, we first hear the Ten Commandments from Exodus, a foundational moral code given to the Israelites as part of their covenant with God. These commandments are not just rules but a guide for living a life that honors God and fosters community. They call us to worship only God, respect life, relationships, and possessions, and to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and sanctification.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, illustrating how people receive God's word. The seed represents the word of the kingdom, and the different soils symbolize the various ways people respond. Some hear but don't understand, others accept joyfully but lack depth, some are distracted by worldly cares, and others receive the word in fertile hearts, bearing abundant fruit. This parable invites us to reflect on the condition of our own hearts and how receptive we are to God's message.
Together, these readings remind us that our faith is both about living according to God's commandments and being open to His word. Just as the Israelites were called to a covenant of obedience, we too are called to live out our faith in action. The parable challenges us to examine our own receptivity to God's word, ensuring our hearts are fertile ground where His teachings can take root and flourish. May we strive to follow God's laws and nurture our spiritual lives, allowing His word to transform us and bear fruit in abundance.