Daily Readings - Sat Dec 09 2023
Isaiah
19For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:21And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.23Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.24The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.25And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.26Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Matthew
35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
1And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.5These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Sermon
In today's readings, we find a beautiful tapestry woven by the prophets and the Gospel, inviting us to reflect on God's promise of restoration and our role as His laborers. The First Reading from Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a future filled with hope and abundance, where the people of Zion will live in Jerusalem without tears, guided by teachers and blessed with fertile land. This vision of restoration is a beacon of light for a people who have endured hardship, promising them that God's compassion and provision will prevail. The imagery of abundant water and grain, along with the intensified light of the moon and sun, symbolizes a time of divine healing and illumination.
In the Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus as the compassionate shepherd who sees the multitudes as distressed and without guidance. Moved by their condition, Jesus calls upon His disciples to pray for more laborers to assist in the harvest—the work of spreading the Gospel. He then commissions the twelve disciples, empowering them to heal and cast out demons, instructing them to focus first on the lost sheep of Israel. This mission is a continuation of the hope Isaiah foretold, as Jesus extends God's healing and teaching through His disciples, indicating the expansion of God's kingdom beyond the Jewish people, starting with them.
These readings call us to recognize our role in God's plan. Just as Jesus had compassion on the crowds, we are urged to see the needs around us and respond with love and service. The moral lesson here is one of trust and active participation in God's work. We are reminded to trust in God's providence and to be His laborers, bringing healing and light to a world in need. As we go about our daily lives, let us embrace this call with compassion, freely giving as we have freely received, and trusting that God's restoration and peace will prevail.