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| "The Enemy Who Sows" -- by James Tissot |
FIRST
READING: Jeremiah
7: 1 - 11
1
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2
"Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this
word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who
enter these gates to worship the LORD.
3
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and
your doings, and I will let you dwell in this place.
4
Do not trust in these deceptive words: `This is the temple of the
LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'
5
"For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly
execute justice one with another,
6
if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow, or shed
innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods
to your own hurt,
7
then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of
old to your fathers for ever.
8
"Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.
9
Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense
to Ba'al, and go after other gods that you have not known,
10
and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by
my name, and say, `We are delivered!' -- only to go on doing all
these abominations?
11
Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers
in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, says the LORD.
PSALM:
Psalms 84:
3 - 6, 8, 11
3
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young, at thy altars, O LORD of hosts, my King
and my God.
4
Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise!
[Selah]
5
Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the
highways to Zion.
6
As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of
springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
8
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!
[Selah]
11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No
good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly.
GOSPEL:
Matthew 13:
24 - 30
24
Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of
heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25
but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the
wheat, and went away.
26
So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared
also.
27
And the servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, did
you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?'
28
He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him,
`Then do you want us to go and gather them?'
29
But he said, `No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat
along with them.
30
Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will
tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to
be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
