Daily Readings - Fri Dec 13 2019
Isaiah
17This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.18If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.19Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me."
Matthew
16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:17"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.'18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound messages that invite us to reflect on our response to God's call and the wisdom of living according to His will. The first reading from Isaiah presents God as a Redeemer and Teacher, urging the people to heed His commandments for the sake of peace and prosperity. The prophet emphasizes that had the people listened, their peace would have flowed like a river, and their justice like the waves of the sea. This passage, likely addressed to the Israelites during or after the exile, serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of obedience.
The Gospel from Matthew offers a complementary yet contrasting perspective. Jesus laments the current generation's inability to recognize wisdom, whether it comes in the form of John the Baptist's austerity or His own communal eating and drinking. John's ascetic lifestyle was met with accusations of demon possession, while Jesus' social engagements led to criticism of being a glutton and a friend of sinners. Jesus' point is clear: wisdom is not judged by external appearances but by the fruit it bears. This passage challenges us to look beyond superficial judgments and to discern the deeper truth of God's message.
Together, these readings remind us that following God's will requires us to move beyond the noise of criticism and societal expectations. Isaiah calls us to trust in God's teachings, while Matthew invites us to embrace the wisdom that comes from living out our faith authentically. In our daily lives, this means being open to God's guidance, even when it challenges us, and trusting that true peace and justice come from walking in His ways. Let us strive to be people of discernment, recognizing that wisdom is not in what others say about us, but in how we live out our faith with integrity and love.