Daily Readings - Mon Jun 26 2017
Genesis
1The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.2"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."4So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.5He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.6Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.8From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.9Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Matthew
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound lessons from Scripture that guide us in our faith journey. The first reading from Genesis 12:1-9 narrates the story of Abram, who, at God's command, leaves his homeland, family, and everything familiar to embark on a journey to an unknown land. This act of obedience is rooted in Abram's trust in God's promise to make him the father of a great nation. The reading highlights Abram's unwavering faith and his willingness to step into the unknown, demonstrating the essence of trust and obedience in God's plan.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 7:1-5 presents Jesus' teaching on judgment and hypocrisy. Jesus admonishes us not to judge others, emphasizing that we will be judged by the same standards we use to judge others. He illustrates this with the metaphor of seeing a splinter in another's eye while ignoring the plank in our own, urging us to first remove our own faults before addressing those of others. This teaching underscores the importance of self-reflection and humility in our interactions with others.
These readings, though from different parts of the Bible, share a common theme of trust and integrity. Abram's story teaches us to trust in God's providence, even when the path is uncertain. Jesus' teaching reminds us to examine our own lives before judging others, fostering humility and compassion. Together, they call us to live with faith and integrity, trusting God's plan while striving to be better versions of ourselves. Let us embrace these lessons, trusting in God's guidance and approaching others with kindness and self-awareness.