Daily Readings - Tue Feb 27 2024
Isaiah
10Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!16wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong,17learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.18"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;20but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.27Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.28But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.31The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire."
Matthew
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.5"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.9And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.11The greatest among you will be your servant.12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Sermon
The readings today offer a powerful call to authenticity and humility in our relationship with God and with one another. In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks to a people who have wandered far from God’s ways. He calls them to repentance, urging them to seek justice, support the oppressed, and defend the vulnerable. Isaiah emphasizes that true conversion is not about outward appearances but about a change of heart. If they turn back to God with sincerity, their sins, though deep, will be washed clean. This passage reminds us that our faith must be lived out in concrete actions of love and justice.
In the Gospel, Jesus critiques the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. While they teach the law, they fail to live it out in their own lives. They burden others with rules they do not follow themselves and seek praise and recognition for their outward piety. Jesus warns his disciples against imitating such behavior. True greatness, he says, is found in humility and service, not in seeking power or status. He reminds us that we have only one Teacher, one Father, and one Master—God himself. This teaching challenges us to examine our own motivations and actions, ensuring that they align with the values of the Kingdom of God.
Both readings call us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith. Isaiah urges us to move beyond superficial religion and to live out our faith in deeds of justice and compassion. Jesus warns us against the temptation to prioritize appearances over true humility and service. In our daily lives, we are invited to ask: Are our actions guided by a sincere desire to follow God’s will, or are they driven by a desire for recognition or power? Let us strive to live with integrity, seeking to serve rather than be served, and to humbly acknowledge our dependence on God. In doing so, we will find true greatness in the eyes of God.