Daily Readings - Mon Jun 21 2021
Genesis
1The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.2"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."4So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.5He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.6Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.8From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.9Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Matthew
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful calls to faith and humility. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Abram, who is called by God to leave behind everything familiar—his land, his family, and his home. God promises Abram that he will become the father of a great nation and that all the families of the earth will be blessed through him. Abram’s response is one of trust and obedience; he departs as the Lord instructs, even though the journey is uncertain. This passage reminds us that faith often requires us to step into the unknown, trusting that God’s plan is greater than our own.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a complementary message, as Jesus teaches us about the importance of humility and self-awareness. He warns us against judging others, reminding us that we will be judged by the same measure we use to judge others. Jesus uses the vivid image of a splinter in our brother’s eye and a board in our own to highlight the hypocrisy of focusing on others’ faults while ignoring our own. This teaching challenges us to examine our own hearts and actions before presuming to correct others. True wisdom begins with self-reflection and a willingness to acknowledge our own limitations.
These readings are connected by the theme of trusting God and living with humility. Abram’s faith in God’s promise teaches us to trust in divine providence, even when the path ahead is unclear. Jesus’ teaching, on the other hand, calls us to humility and self-awareness, reminding us that we cannot guide others unless we first examine our own lives. Together, these readings invite us to embrace a life of faith and humility, trusting in God’s plan while striving to live with integrity and compassion. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to step out in faith like Abram? And are we honest enough to recognize our own shortcomings before judging others? May we seek to follow God’s will with trust and humility, allowing His grace to transform our hearts and actions.