Daily Readings - Mon Aug 21 2017
Judges
11Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.12They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger13because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.14In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.15Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.16Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.17Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD 's commands.18Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.19But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
Matthew
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."18"Which ones?" the man inquired.19Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Sermon
The first reading from the Book of Judges describes a cycle of sin, repentance, and deliverance among the Israelites. Despite God’s faithfulness and the miracles of their liberation from Egypt, the people repeatedly turned away from the Lord to serve foreign gods. This idolatry provoked God’s anger, leading to their oppression by enemies. Yet, in his mercy, God raised up judges to rescue them, only for the cycle to repeat itself after each judge’s death. The passage reveals the stubbornness of the human heart and the constant need for conversion.
In the Gospel, Jesus encounters a young man who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus lists several commandments, and the young man claims to have kept them all. Yet, when Jesus invites him to sell his possessions and follow him, the young man walks away sorrowfully, unable to part with his wealth. This exchange highlights the challenge of detachment and the ultimate test of discipleship: whether we are willing to let go of earthly attachments to follow Christ fully.
Both readings invite us to examine our own hearts and lives. Like the Israelites, we often turn to false idols—whether wealth, power, or comfort—instead of trusting in God’s providence. Like the rich young man, we may keep the commandments outwardly but struggle with inward attachment to the things of this world. The readings call us to radical conversion: to let go of what holds us back, to trust in God’s mercy, and to follow him with undivided hearts. True freedom and eternal life are found not in possessions or fleeting pleasures, but in surrendering everything to Christ.