Daily Readings - Sat Jul 23 2022
Jeremiah
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:2"Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: "'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD.3This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.4Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!"5If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,6if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,7then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.8But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.9"'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,10and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things?11Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.
Matthew
24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'28"'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'29"'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our commitment to living a life of faith and integrity. The first reading from Jeremiah confronts us with a call to repentance and authenticity in our worship of God. Jeremiah stands at the gates of the Temple, urging the people to examine their lives and their intentions. He warns them against false confidence in the Temple’s presence while continuing to live in sin and injustice. The Lord calls them to make their ways and intentions good, to act justly, and to care for the vulnerable. Jeremiah’s message is clear: true worship is not about rituals or empty words but about living a life that reflects God’s justice and love.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents us with a parable about the kingdom of heaven, where good seed and weeds grow together in the same field. The master of the house allows both to grow until the harvest, trusting that in the end, the wheat will be separated from the weeds. This parable reminds us that the kingdom of God is not about quick fixes or immediate judgments but about patience and trust in God’s plan. It also challenges us to examine our own lives: are we the wheat, living in accordance with God’s will, or are we the weeds, allowing sin and selfishness to take root?
Both readings invite us to reflect on the state of our hearts and lives. Jeremiah’s call to justice and integrity and Jesus’ parable about the kingdom of heaven remind us that our faith must be lived out in concrete actions. We cannot simply go through the motions of religious practice while neglecting the call to love and serve others. True faith requires us to examine our intentions, to root out sin, and to trust in God’s plan, even when the journey is uncertain. Let us ask ourselves: Are we living in a way that reflects the justice and love of God? Do we trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems messy and imperfect? May we strive to be the wheat, growing in holiness and patience, as we await the harvest of God’s kingdom.