Daily Readings - Thu Dec 10 2020
Isaiah
13For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.14Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.16You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.17"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.18I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.19I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,20so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Matthew
11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.15He who has ears, let him hear.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, transformation, and the fulfillment of God's promises. The first reading from Isaiah speaks to the Israelites during their exile, offering them hope of restoration. Isaiah uses vivid imagery—a desert blooming into pools of water—to illustrate God's transformative power. This passage reminds us that even in our darkest times, God is always present, ready to redeem and renew us. It calls us to trust in His power and not be afraid, for He is our Redeemer.
The Gospel from Matthew shifts our focus to John the Baptist, whom Jesus praises as the greatest among those born of women. Yet, Jesus also notes that even the least in the kingdom is greater than John, signaling the transition from the era of prophecy to the era of the kingdom. John, as the last prophet, bridges the Old and New Covenants, fulfilling the prophecy of Elijah's return. Jesus emphasizes that the kingdom is not for the passive but for those who actively seek it, enduring violence and perseverance.
These readings connect through the theme of transformation and fulfillment. Isaiah's vision of a renewed land mirrors the spiritual renewal offered through the kingdom of heaven. Just as God transforms the desert, He transforms our hearts. The moral lesson here is one of trust and active faith. We are called to trust in God's plan, even in uncertainty, and to strive for the kingdom with perseverance. Let us embrace this hope and actively live out our faith, seeking the kingdom with courage and determination.