Daily Readings - Mon Jul 20 2020
Micah
1Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say.2Hear, O mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.3"My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.4I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.6With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?8He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Matthew
38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."39He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and our response to God’s presence in our lives. In the first reading from Micah, the prophet challenges Israel to recognize God’s judgment and to understand what truly pleases Him. Micah emphasizes that God does not desire elaborate sacrifices or outward displays of piety but rather a life lived with justice, mercy, and humility. This message was spoken in a time when Israel had turned away from God’s covenant, pursuing instead corruption and injustice. Micah calls the people back to the heart of their relationship with God, reminding them that true worship is about how they live, not just what they say.
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the Pharisees and scribes who demand a sign from him. He rejects their request, pointing out that their generation is evil and adulterous because it seeks signs rather than responding to the presence of God already among them. Jesus then references Jonah and the Queen of the South, who repented at the preaching of Jonah and sought the wisdom of Solomon, respectively. He makes it clear that He is greater than Jonah and Solomon, and yet, many still refuse to see the sign of His presence. This passage highlights the tension between those who seek proof and those who trust in God’s Word.
These readings remind us that faith is not about seeking signs or guarantees but about trusting in God’s presence and living in accordance with His will. Like the people of Micah’s time, we are called to act with justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And like the generation in Jesus’ time, we must not let our hearts grow hard or our eyes blind to the signs of God’s love already at work in our lives. Let us ask ourselves: Are we living in a way that reflects our faith? Are we trusting in God’s presence, or are we waiting for some sign before we act? May we respond to God’s call with humility, mercy, and openness to His will.