I SHALL PLACE MY SPIRIT UPON HIM AND HE SHALL HEAL HIS PEOPLE
Introduction
The prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, scolds those who have exploited the poor. God will punish them by having their possessions divided among the pagan invaders.
Jesus is presented today as the servant of God who brings healing to the people without drawing attention to himself: He brings God’s tender care to people. He respects and heals what is little and brittle.
1 Reading Micah 2:1-5
Woe to those who plan iniquity,
and work out evil on their couches;
In the morning light they accomplish it
when it lies within their power.
They covet fields, and seize them;
houses, and they take them;
They cheat an owner of his house,
a man of his inheritance.
Therefore thus says the LORD:
Behold, I am planning against this race an evil
from which you shall not withdraw your necks;
Nor shall you walk with head high,
for it will be a time of evil.
On that day a satire shall be sung over you,
and there shall be a plaintive chant:
“Our ruin is complete,
our fields are portioned out among our captors,
The fields of my people are measured out,
and no one can get them back!”
Thus you shall have no one
to mark out boundaries by lot
in the assembly of the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14
R. (12b) Do not forget the poor, O Lord! Why, O LORD, do you stand aloof?
Why hide in times of distress?
Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted,
who are caught in the devices the wicked have contrived.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
For the wicked man glories in his greed,
and the covetous blasphemes, sets the LORD at nought.
The wicked man boasts, “He will not avenge it”;
“There is no God,” sums up his thoughts.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
His mouth is full of cursing, guile and deceit;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He lurks in ambush near the villages;
in hiding he murders the innocent;
his eyes spy upon the unfortunate.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow,
taking them in your hands.
On you the unfortunate man depends;
of the fatherless you are the helper.
R. Do not forget the poor, O Lord!
Alleluia 2 Corinthians 5:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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 fulfil 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 smouldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
Blessing
How Jesus responds to opposition from his enemies is instructive for us in living our Christian mission. Knowing that his time had not yet come, Jesus prudently withdraws to another place, but he does not suspend his ministry. People followed him into the new place and he cured all those who were sick. Even when he gave them strict orders not to make him known, he knows for sure that they will reveal his whereabouts and he would not be safe anywhere. However, none of these possibilities deter him from exercising his ministry and doing good to people. He indeed persists until God’s compassionate justice is made victorious among the nations. We will do well to put our hope in him and take him as our model in our service to God’s people.
Blessing
We have heard God say about Jesus that he is the servant he likes. Jesus makes us servants with him. May we too be pleasing to God, and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!