Daily Readings - Wed Aug 21 2024
Ezekiel
1The word of the LORD came to me:2"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?3You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.4You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.6My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.7"'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:8As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,9therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:10This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.11"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.
Matthew
1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'5So they went.6"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'7"'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful messages from Ezekiel and Matthew that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our responsibilities toward others. Ezekiel's prophecy condemns the shepherds of Israel for their failure to care for their flock, highlighting their self-interest and neglect of the weak and lost. This serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of abandoning our duties to care for one another. Conversely, Matthew's parable of the laborers in the vineyard challenges our understanding of justice and generosity. The landowner's decision to pay all workers equally, regardless of their work duration, illustrates God's boundless mercy and grace, emphasizing that His ways are not our ways.
These readings are interconnected through the theme of God's direct involvement in the lives of His people. Ezekiel shows God stepping in to care for His scattered flock, while Matthew reveals God's generosity that defies human notions of fairness. Together, they call us to humility and trust in God's plan, recognizing that true justice and mercy are rooted in His love.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace our roles as caregivers and stewards, whether in our families, communities, or workplaces. Let us strive to care for others with compassion and humility, trusting in God's plan and rejoicing in His generosity. May we find joy in serving others and trust in God's promise that the last shall be first.