Creator of Justice - Mt 12:15-21
In the composition of the Gospel of Matthew there is a place for specific summaria. The evangelist stops the narrative in order to summarize in a few sentences not so much the activity of Jesus as to cover quite a wide range of the achievements of the Messiah. He then talks about great crowds, numerous miracles, and the characteristic displacements of Jesus. For the intended result, he also invokes biblical quotations that shed light on Jesus' divine mission. Other evangelists do the same.
The first part of the pericope we are interested in informs about the numerous crowds who followed Jesus, seeking His help. First of all, people wanted to be healed from physical ailments. At a time when medicine was underdeveloped and the poor had no access to it, meeting such a Healer was for these people a tangible experience of God's mercy. This does not mean, of course, that in the era of advanced medical techniques, God's help is no longer needed. On the contrary, many people are still aware that a person's life, including his health, are in God's hands. However, not everyone admits it, and this is one of the greatest problems of today ... Matthew continues saying that Jesus healed everyone. With this statement, the evangelist condensed the information scattered throughout the Gospel. In fact, there is only one mention in the Gospels that Jesus could not or would not heal because people did not believe in Him. It happened in Nazareth (cf. Mt 13:58). Although Jesus was surprised by human disbelief, he still healed some people. Not much, but still. He had never been completely indifferent to human misfortune. He also looked for the way to those who, in hardness of heart, closed themselves off from him. He did not agree to this kind of defeat, because it would ultimately be a defeat for a human being.
The evangelist quotes from the prophet Isaiah, invoking the figure of the Servant of the Lord. The book of Isaiah contains four songs about the Servant of the Lord (cf. Is 42: 1-7; 49: 1-4; 50: 4-9; 52, 13 - 53, 12). It is not easy to identify this mysterious figure. The Jewish interpretation sometimes saw in the Servant of the Persian King, Cyrus, who by a famous decree allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland from Babylonian captivity. For Jewish patriots, Cyrus was an instrument in God's hands and at the same time His servant in plans for the Chosen People. However, this does not seem to be correct. Isaiah speaks too solemnly and sublime, and he invokes the motives of sacrifice and martyrdom in the Servant's life, which is quite incompatible with the person of a pagan ruler. One attempt to explain the identity of the Servant sees Him as the epitome of the nation of Israel, but this approach should also be ruled out because Isaiah does not speak of community, but clearly mentions an individual character.
Christians from the very beginning read Isaiah's words about the Servant of the Lord as a prophecy about Jesus Christ. Apparently, the Church sees him in the fourth song. The content of some quotes is all too eloquent: ... he shall be raised high and greatly exalted (...); Even as many were amazed at him - so marred were his features, beyond that of mortals his appearance, beyond that of human beings (...); He was spurned and avoided by men (...); he was despised (…); Yet it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured (...); But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity(...); Though harshly treated, he submitted and did not open his mouth (...); He was given a grave among the wicked, a burial place with evildoers, Though he had done no wrong, nor was deceit found in his mouth. (...); after his torment, he will see the light. These are just some fragments of this song, and they clearly show us before our eyes the passion and redeeming death of our Lord. The remaining songs also contain many allusions to the person and mission of Jesus.
In our passage, Matthew quotes a part of the first song (Is 42: 1-4) which speaks of the relationship between God and the Servant (cf. Jn. 10:30), the Spirit who descended upon the Servant (cf. Mt 3:16), about his humility and meekness (cf. Mt 11:29). The most noteworthy, however, is the term justice, which appears twice in this quote: The Servant of God will proclaim justice to nations and lead to the victory of justice. Justice as it is here, however, is not to be understood in its juridical sense as it is usually understood. In this case, it is about God's righteousness, which means the kingdom of God on earth. To declare and to bring about justice among nations is to make God reign in the world, in human hearts and mutual relations. It is to make mercy, forgiveness and mutual kindness find a place in political and international relations, but also in unofficial, every day, very local and personal relations. This was the purpose of Jesus from the very beginning of his earthly mission until its end. He set the same task for his church. Justice understood in this way has been and is proclaimed, and although its victory in the world is not yet seen, it will one day take place.
“He loves justice and right. The earth is full of the mercy of the LORD” (Ps 33: 5).
Until Tomorrow
fr. george