Daily Readings - Fri Jul 05 2019
Genesis
1Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old.2She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.3Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said,4"I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead."19Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
1Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.2He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh.3I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,4but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."5The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"6"Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said.7"The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'-he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.8If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there."62Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.63He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.64Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel65and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.66Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.67Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Matthew
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on trust in God's providence and the call to mercy. The first reading from Genesis presents Abraham, a man of deep faith, who, after burying his wife Sarah, entrusts his servant with a significant mission. Abraham's charge to his servant is not just about finding a wife for Isaac; it is a testament to his unwavering trust in God's promise. The servant's obedience and the eventual union of Isaac and Rebekah illustrate how God weaves His plan into the fabric of human lives, ensuring that His covenant with Abraham endures.
The Gospel reading shifts our focus to Jesus, who, in a bold act of inclusion, calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him. Jesus' subsequent dining with tax collectors and sinners challenges the Pharisees' rigid understanding of holiness. His response, emphasizing mercy over sacrifice, underscores His mission to reach the marginalized. This encounter reminds us that Jesus' message is not for the self-righteous but for those who recognize their need for healing and grace.
Both readings converge on themes of trust and mercy. Abraham's trust in God's plan and Jesus' merciful outreach to the outcast teach us to embrace God's providence with faith and to extend compassion to others. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God's plan, even when uncertain, and to live out mercy, as Jesus did, by reaching out to those on the margins. The moral lesson is clear: faith and mercy are not abstract concepts but lived realities that transform our lives and the lives of those around us.