Daily Readings - Tue Jul 02 2019
Genesis
15With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."16When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.17As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"18But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please!19Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die.20Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it-it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."21He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of.22But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar. )23By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.24Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah-from the LORD out of the heavens.25Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities-and also the vegetation in the land.26But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.27Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD.28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.29So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Matthew
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, trust, and God's providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Lot and his family being led to safety as Sodom and Gomorrah face destruction. Despite the angels' urgent warnings, Lot hesitates, revealing a mixture of faith and doubt. His wife, unable to let go of what is behind her, becomes a pillar of salt, a poignant reminder of the consequences of looking back. Meanwhile, Abraham, who had interceded for the cities, stands as a figure of hope, trusting in God's justice and mercy.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a different kind of storm—this time, a tempest on the sea. Jesus, asleep in the boat, is awakened by his disciples, who are consumed by fear. With a word, he calms the winds and the waves, leaving the disciples in awe. This miracle is not just a display of power but a lesson in trust. Jesus' question, "Why are you afraid, O little in faith?" cuts to the heart of their doubt and ours. It reminds us that faith is not the absence of fear but the willingness to place our trust in God even when the world around us seems to be unraveling.
These readings, though separated by centuries, speak to a common truth: our faith is tested in the storms of life. Like Lot, we may hesitate or look back, fearing what lies ahead. Like the disciples, we may doubt God's presence in the chaos. Yet, in both stories, we see the hand of God at work—saving Lot, calming the sea. They remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God's plan, even when the path is uncertain. Let us, then, turn our gaze away from the chaos and fix our eyes on the Lord, who is always near, always in control. In Him, we find the peace that surpasses all understanding.