Daily Readings - Sat Aug 11 2018
Habakkuk
12O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.13Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?14You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler.15The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.16Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.17Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.2Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.4"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright- but the righteous will live by his faith -
Matthew
14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith and trust in God's plan. The first reading from Habakkuk portrays the prophet's anguish as he questions God about the prevalence of injustice and suffering. Habakkuk seeks assurance that justice will prevail, and God's response emphasizes patience and faith, promising that the vision of justice will unfold in its appointed time. This context, set amidst the turmoil of the Jewish people facing oppression, reminds us to trust in God's timing even when circumstances seem dire.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to a father's desperate plea for his afflicted son. Despite the disciples' inability to heal the boy, Jesus demonstrates the transformative power of faith, healing the child and teaching the disciples about the necessity of unwavering belief. This passage underscores the idea that even a mustard seed of faith can move mountains, encouraging us to trust in God's power and presence in our lives.
These readings together guide us in navigating life's challenges with patience and faith. Just as Habakkuk waited for God's justice and the father trusted in Jesus' healing power, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith. In our daily struggles, we find comfort in knowing that God's timing is perfect and that our faith, however small, is a potent force. Let us embrace this lesson, trusting that through faith, we can overcome any obstacle, and in patience, we will see God's plan unfold.