Daily Readings - Tue Aug 08 2017
Numbers
1Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.2"Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.3(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)4At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out.5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward,6he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.7But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.8With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"9The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.10When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam-leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy;11and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.12Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."13So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!"
Sermon
The first reading from Numbers 12:1-13 presents a story of conflict and divine intervention. Miriam and Aaron, siblings of Moses, challenge his leadership and question God’s exclusive communication through him. They also criticize Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. God, displeased with their jealousy and lack of trust, appears in a column of cloud and rebukes them. Miriam is afflicted with leprosy, a visible sign of God’s displeasure, but through Moses’ intercession, she is eventually healed. This story highlights themes of humility, trust in God’s plan, and the importance of unity among leaders.
The context of this passage is set during the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, where Moses is the primary leader and prophet. Miriam and Aaron, who also hold leadership roles, allow jealousy to cloud their judgment, forgetting that God can speak through anyone He chooses. Their actions reveal the dangers of envy and the importance of respecting the roles God has given to others. Moses’ meekness and his willingness to pray for his sister, even after her wrongdoing, demonstrate his deep humility and faith in God’s mercy.
This story invites us to reflect on our own relationships and attitudes. How often do we allow jealousy or pride to overshadow our trust in God’s plan? Like Miriam and Aaron, we may sometimes doubt God’s choices or feel threatened by the gifts He gives to others. Yet, the story reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His wisdom surpasses human understanding. Moses’ example teaches us to respond to conflict with humility and compassion, rather than anger or resentment. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s plan and to love and support one another, even when we feel challenged or misunderstood.