Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 20, 2019
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.
I write from Vietnam, where I am teaching a three-week course in philosophy at a Jesuit seminary. Every summer the superiors here support their faculty by inviting visitors to offer intensive seminars on core subjects; my colleagues include language instructors who hail from Belgium and India. This is my fourth stint in Vietnam, but I still don’t speak the language.
As I introduce the nuances of epistemology, I fall into a trap familiar to anyone who has struggled to communicate with foreigners: I start to raise my voice. I convince myself that more volume will make my meaning clear. Meanwhile, students respond to my shouting with shame; doubting their language skills, they won’t answer my questions or ask their own. After only a day or two, some of their spirits are already broken.
Matthew the evangelist quotes Isaiah the prophet to underscore Jesus’ alternative mode of communication. As the Son of God, Christ could have chosen to “proclaim justice” by shouting down his enemies and rallying the crowds to his defense. Yet he will not “contend or cry out.” His message will sustain, not crush, the “bruised reed” and the “smoldering wick,” the poor and the fragile among his listeners. He takes the patient, humble course.
The Fathers of the Church like to speak of the humble Christ as the embodiment of God’s “condescension.” Refusing to overwhelm us with his majesty, God speaks to us in a language and a flesh we can understand. And so we learn that we proclaim the Gospel best if we keep our voices down. Like our Messiah, we preach a justice that does not break those God has singled out for salvation.
Prayer
Merciful Father, you sent your Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with the fire of your grace and mercy. Help us to nurture a spirit of charity and forgiveness towards those who have trespassed against us. May we always find in you the courage and humility to raise up—and not condemn—our fellow sinners as we strive to follow the example of your Son. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Joseph of Barsabbas is one of those characters in history who are marginally famous for what could have been. Another roll of the dice and he would have been one of the Twelve disciples.
He appears only briefly in Scripture. After betraying Jesus to his passion, Judas Iscariot committed suicide, and the apostles gathered to choose a replacement. Two men were recommended from among Jesus’ wider circle of 72 followers—Joseph and Matthias—and lots were cast and fell to Matthias, who joined the eleven.
Joseph is also known as Joseph the Just, or Justus, and after Pentecost went out into the world to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Some accounts have him being named bishop, and others state that he worked miracles, including the drinking of poison without being harmed (cf Mark 16:18).
St. Joseph of Barsabbas, the just one who lost a place among the 12 apostles to a game of chance—pray for us!