Daily Readings - Mon Jul 09 2018
Hosea
14"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.15There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.16"In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. '19I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.20I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.
Matthew
18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.23When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd,24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.26News of this spread through all that region.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful narratives of redemption and faith. The first reading from Hosea portrays God's promise to restore His people, using the metaphor of a spouse returning to her husband. This metaphor underscores God's enduring love and His plan to renew His covenant with His people through justice, mercy, and faith. The Gospel from Matthew presents two miracles: the healing of a woman who had bled for twelve years and the resurrection of a ruler's daughter. Both miracles highlight Jesus' compassion and the transformative power of faith.
The context of Hosea's prophecy is set against a backdrop of Israel's infidelity, where the prophet uses the metaphor of a broken marriage to illustrate the people's spiritual adultery. In contrast, Matthew's account showcases Jesus' authority and mercy, demonstrating how His divine power heals both physical and spiritual ailments. These readings connect through their emphasis on redemption and faith—Hosea's promise of restoration is fulfilled in Jesus' miracles, which embody God's loving intervention.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to trust in God's plan and approach Him with unwavering faith, even in adversity. Just as the woman and the ruler trusted Jesus for healing, we too can place our confidence in His power. The moral lesson here is the enduring nature of God's love and the call to live with faith and trust. Let us embrace this love and faith, knowing that God is always working for our good, just as He did for the woman and the ruler's daughter.