Daily Readings - Thu Dec 14 2017
Isaiah
13For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.14Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.16You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.17"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.18I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.19I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,20so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Matthew
11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.15He who has ears, let him hear.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, transformation, and the call to faith. The passage from Isaiah 41:13-20 offers comfort, urging us not to fear as God promises to transform desolate places into sources of life, symbolizing His power to renew and restore. The Gospel from Matthew 11:11-15 highlights John the Baptist's pivotal role as a bridge between the Old and New Covenants, emphasizing the shift from prophecy to the fulfillment in Christ. Jesus notes the struggle in living out faith, yet affirms that even the least in the kingdom holds a great place.
Both readings connect through the theme of trust in God's plan. Isaiah's assurance of restoration and Matthew's focus on the kingdom's arrival remind us to trust God's providence, even amidst challenges. The transformation promised in Isaiah is fulfilled in Christ, as John the Baptist prepares the way for the Messiah, illustrating the transition from anticipation to realization.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to embrace faith courageously. Just as God transforms deserts into pools, He can bring life to our barren areas. Trusting in His plan, we are empowered to face struggles with hope, knowing that our faith, though small, is part of a greater divine narrative. Let us live with trust and faith, allowing God's transformative power to guide us through life's trials.