Daily Readings - Sat Jun 23 2018
2 Chronicles
17After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.18They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.19Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.20Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the LORD's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'"21But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's temple.22King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May the LORD see this and call you to account."23At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus.24Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.25When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Matthew
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Sermon
The readings today offer us a powerful reflection on faith, trust, and the consequences of our choices. In the first reading from 2 Chronicles, we see the tragic story of King Joash, who, after the death of the priest Jehoiada, abandoned the Lord and led Judah into sin. Despite the warnings of the prophets, including the courageous Zechariah, who was stoned for speaking the truth, Joash and the people turned away from God. This led to their downfall, as they suffered at the hands of the Syrians and Joash himself was eventually assassinated. This story reminds us that when we forsake God, we lose the very foundation of our strength and stability.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the importance of prioritizing God above all else. He warns us that we cannot serve two masters—God and wealth—and urges us not to be consumed by anxiety about material needs. Jesus uses the examples of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field to show how God provides for creation. He calls us to trust in God’s providence and to seek first the kingdom of God and his justice. This teaching is a direct response to the kind of spiritual emptiness and idolatry we see in the first reading. When we place our trust in God, we find true peace and freedom from the burdens of anxiety.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Are we like King Joash, allowing worldly influences to pull us away from God? Or are we like the birds of the air, trusting in God’s care? Jesus invites us to live with faith, to let go of our obsession with material security, and to seek a deeper relationship with him. Let us remember that true happiness and fulfillment come not from wealth or power, but from living in harmony with God’s will. May we, like the lilies of the field, grow in beauty and grace, trusting that God will provide for all our needs.