Daily Readings - Sat Jul 07 2018

¹¹"In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be,¹²so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name, "declares the LORD, who will do these things.¹³"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.¹⁴I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.¹⁵I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God.

Matthew

Chapter 9

¹⁴Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"¹⁵Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.¹⁶"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.¹⁷Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter themes of restoration and renewal, as God speaks through the prophet Amos and through Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Amos envisions a future where the tabernacle of David is restored, and Israel is rebuilt, symbolizing God's promise of abundance and peace. This vision is set against the backdrop of a time when Israel was prosperous yet corrupt, and Amos calls for justice and repentance. The reading from Matthew shifts our focus to Jesus, who responds to questions about fasting by emphasizing the joy of his presence and the incompatibility of old traditions with the new covenant he brings. He uses the metaphors of a patch on old cloth and new wine in old wineskins to illustrate that his teachings cannot be confined by old ways. These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of God's work in our lives. Amos reminds us that God is always seeking to restore and renew His people, even in the midst of decay. Jesus, in Matthew, challenges us to embrace the newness of His message, which cannot be contained within the structures of the past. Together, they teach us that God's plan is always forward-looking, bringing new life and possibilities. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to trust in God's plan and remain open to change. Just as Amos looked forward to a restored Israel and Jesus brought a new covenant, we too can expect God to do new things in our lives. We are called to be flexible and trusting, knowing that God's new ways are for our good. The moral lesson here is clear: embrace the newness God brings, do not resist change, and have faith in His power to restore and renew. Let us approach each day with openness to the Spirit, trusting that God is always doing something new in our lives.