Daily Readings - Thu Jul 06 2023
Genesis
1Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!Here I am," he replied.2Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."3Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.5He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,7Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"8Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.9When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.10Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.11But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!Here I am," he replied.12"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."13Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.14So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."15The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time16and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,17I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,18and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.
Matthew
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."7And the man got up and went home.8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories of faith and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Genesis recounts the dramatic test of Abraham’s faith, where he is asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a holocaust. Abraham, despite the profound pain and confusion this command must have brought, obeys without hesitation, trusting that God’s plan is greater than his own understanding. At the last moment, God intervenes, providing a ram as a substitute for Isaac, and Abraham’s faith is rewarded with a promise of blessings for generations to come. This story is a timeless reminder of the depth of faith required to surrender our will to God, even when the path ahead seems unclear or difficult.
In the Gospel, we see another expression of faith, this time in the healing of the paralytic. The man’s friends demonstrate extraordinary trust in Jesus, carrying him to the Lord despite the obstacles in their way. Jesus, seeing their faith, first forgives the man’s sins and then heals his body. This miracle not only highlights Jesus’ divine authority but also teaches us that true healing begins with the forgiveness of sins. The scribes, who question Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, are reminded that God’s power is not limited to the physical realm but extends to the deepest recesses of the human heart.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and trust in our own lives. Like Abraham, we are often called to surrender our plans and desires to God’s will, even when it feels challenging or inexplicable. Like the paralytic and his friends, we are called to trust in Jesus’ power to heal and transform us, both spiritually and physically. In a world filled with uncertainty, these stories encourage us to place our hope in God, knowing that He sees our struggles and will provide for us in ways we cannot yet imagine. Let us strive to imitate the faith of Abraham and the perseverance of the paralytic’s friends, trusting that God’s plan for us is always one of love and redemption.