Daily Readings - Sat Jul 27 2024
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 call us to reflect on our relationship with God and our life of faith. The first reading from Jeremiah challenges us to examine the integrity of our actions and intentions. Standing at the gates of the temple, Jeremiah warns the people of Judah not to rely on the temple’s presence as a guarantee of safety or holiness. He calls them to live justly, to care for the vulnerable, and to reject false idols. The temple, he says, is not a refuge for sin but a place where God dwells among those who are faithful and upright. Jeremiah’s words are a stark reminder that our worship and devotion must be matched by our commitment to justice and holiness in daily life.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents us with a parable about the kingdom of heaven, likening it to a field where both wheat and weeds grow together. Jesus teaches that the master allows both to grow until the harvest, lest the wheat be uprooted along with the weeds. This parable invites us to trust in God’s patience and wisdom, recognizing that good and evil often coexist in this world. It reminds us that judgment is ultimately God’s work, not ours, and that our task is to focus on growing in holiness and letting God handle the rest.
Together, these readings remind us that our faith is not merely about words or rituals but about living in a way that reflects God’s justice and love. Jeremiah warns against complacency and false security, while Jesus encourages patience and trust in God’s plan. In our daily lives, we are called to examine our intentions and actions, to live with integrity, and to trust that God will ultimately separate good from evil. May we strive to be the wheat that grows strong and fruitful, trusting in God’s mercy and judgment, and living in a way that honors His name.