Daily Readings - Wed Jul 23 2025
Exodus
1And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:3And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.4Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.5And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.9And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.10And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,12I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.13And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.14And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Matthew
1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s providence and our response to His Word. In the first reading from Exodus, the Israelites find themselves in the desert, murmuring against Moses and Aaron because of their hunger and frustration. They had left the abundance of Egypt but now felt abandoned. Yet, in their despair, God provides manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain them. This gift was not only physical sustenance but also a test of their trust in Him. The Israelites were to gather only what they needed each day, learning to rely on God’s daily provision rather than their own efforts.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, which speaks to how we receive the Word of God. The seed falls on different types of soil, representing the various ways people respond to God’s message. Some hearts are hard and unresponsive, like the rocky ground; others are distracted by the cares of the world, like the thorny soil. But the good soil, fertile and open, bears abundant fruit. Jesus’ parable reminds us that our receptivity to God’s Word determines its fruitfulness in our lives.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God. The Israelites in the desert had to learn to trust in God’s daily provision, even when the future seemed uncertain. Similarly, Jesus invites us to cultivate hearts that are open and receptive to His Word. In our daily lives, we often face challenges and uncertainties, but these are opportunities to deepen our faith. Let us ask ourselves: Do we grumble and doubt, or do we trust in God’s providence? Do we allow the cares of the world to choke the Word in our hearts, or do we nurture it with prayer and gratitude? May we strive to be like the good soil, bearing fruit in abundance, and may we remember that God’s grace is always sufficient for us, even in the wilderness.