Daily Readings - Sat Aug 04 2018
Jeremiah
11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard.13Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you.14As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.15Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."24Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Matthew
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,2and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."3Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,4for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."5Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.6On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much7that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.8Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted10and had John beheaded in the prison.11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.12John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful stories of prophets who faced severe opposition for speaking the truth. In the first reading, Jeremiah stands before the leaders and people of Jerusalem, delivering a difficult message from God. He warns them that their sinful ways have brought judgment upon the city, but he also offers hope: if they repent, God will relent. Despite the danger, Jeremiah remains steadfast, trusting in God’s mission for him. The people, though divided, ultimately spare his life, thanks to the intervention of Ahikam, a righteous man who stands by him.
In the Gospel, we see a very different outcome. John the Baptist, a prophet who boldly called King Herod to repentance, is brutally executed as a result of Herod’s pride and fear. Herod, swayed by his own desires and the manipulations of Herodias, breaks his oath and has John beheaded. This tragic event reminds us that speaking the truth can come at a great cost. John’s disciples, grief-stricken, take his body and bury it, but they also go to tell Jesus, showing their trust in God’s plan even in the face of suffering.
Both readings remind us that living as disciples of Christ requires courage and integrity. Like Jeremiah and John, we are called to speak the truth, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. This might mean standing up for justice, challenging wrongdoing, or simply living according to our faith in a world that often opposes it. The moral lesson here is clear: our faith must be bold and unwavering, even in the face of adversity. Let us ask for the grace to imitate these prophets, trusting that God will guide us and give us the strength to remain faithful, no matter the cost.