Daily Readings - Fri Jul 05 2024
Amos
4Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,5Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?6That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?9And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:10And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.11Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:12And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Matthew
9And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about justice and mercy. The prophet Amos denounces the social injustices of his time, where the wealthy exploit the poor, using deceptive trade practices and ignoring the needs of the vulnerable. He warns of a spiritual famine, a time when people will seek God's word but find it absent. This serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting the marginalized.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges societal norms by calling Matthew, a tax collector, and dining with sinners. The Pharisees question Jesus' actions, prompting him to emphasize that his mission is to bring mercy to those who have strayed, quoting Hosea to highlight the importance of compassion over rigid adherence to the law. This illustrates Jesus' commitment to reaching out to the outcasts and showing them God's love.
These readings together call us to reflect on our own lives. We must balance the pursuit of justice for the oppressed with the practice of mercy towards those who have erred. Let us examine our actions to ensure we do not exploit others and that we extend compassion to those around us. By living with integrity and kindness, we embody the teachings of both Amos and Jesus, fostering a world where justice and mercy coexist.