Gospel Matthew 12:14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
Reflection This gospel carries with it the image of the final major conflict between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Pharisees see Jesus as a great threat to their system, and they're deciding they must kill him. Jesus realizes this, and he's not retaliating. He's not angry. He's not calling upon angels to go and destroy these people. No, he simply continues to do his work, to be with people, to heal them of their diseases and their shortcomings.
He's a gentle, loving man. And it’s clear that from the very beginning of the revelations in the Old Testament, we see a prophet coming who is radically different than the prophets of the Old Testament. No fire and brimstone, no threats, no condemnation, just a loving, giving figure who represents who the father really is.
Please ponder this reflection and in a few moments I will close with a prayer.
Closing Prayer Father, you teach us in so many ways, often by a story like this, where we're just watching you respond to something that you should have this negative overflow of emotion. And yet there you are, back at doing just what you came to do. Keep us focused on what we came in this world to do. The thing you've asked us to do to heal, to help, to be there for one another. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.