Daily Readings - Tue Jul 04 2017
Genesis
15With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."16When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.17As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"18But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please!19Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die.20Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it-it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."21He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of.22But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar. )23By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.24Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the LORD out of the heavens.25Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-and also the vegetation in the land.26But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.27Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD.28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.29So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Matthew
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust and faith in God's providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, Abraham's nephew, finds himself in a precarious situation as the angels of the Lord urge him to flee the wicked cities. Despite his hesitation, the angels guide him and his family to safety, though his wife's glance back results in her turning into a pillar of salt. This story serves as a reminder of the importance of trusting in God's plan, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.
The Gospel reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus and His disciples facing a tempest while on a boat. The disciples, overwhelmed by fear, awaken Jesus, who calmly commands the storm to cease, demonstrating His divine authority over nature. This miracle not only showcases Jesus' power but also highlights the disciples' journey from fear to faith, urging us to trust in God's presence during life's turbulent moments.
These readings interconnectedly remind us that faith is not about the absence of fear but about trusting in God's providence amidst life's challenges. Just as Lot needed to trust the angels and the disciples needed to trust Jesus, we too are called to place our trust in God. In our daily lives, we face our own storms—whether personal struggles, uncertainties, or global crises. Let us draw strength from these stories, remembering that God is always with us, guiding us through the chaos. May we, like the disciples, move from fear to faith, trusting that God's plan is greater than our understanding.