15th Week, Saturday, July 17
Exodus 12:37-42 /
Matthew 12:14-21
The Israelites leave Egypt; They went in haste without Preparation. Imagine you must flee for your life. Your only escape route is a vast desert. As you head into the hostile wasteland, you realize that your life is now endangered in a new way. You have no idea what direction to take or where food and water are to be found. This was the situation the Israelites faced as they headed into the Sinai desert. In a very real sense, they were repeating the "journey of faith" that God asked Abraham to make years before them. The "journey of faith" that Abraham and Israel made is one that God asks each of us to make, also.
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What do we find most difficult about our "journey of faith" through life? What keeps us trusting in God? "Lead, kindly Light . . . Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead Thou my feet." John Henry Newman
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In the first reading we
hear how the people of God start their march to a land of their own where they
can serve God in freedom and be the living kingdom of God: the Promised Land.
But the journey will be long, slow-paced, marked with sufferings, confusions
and hesitations, momentary revolts and betrayals. But God is with them: he does
not sleep, says today’s text. For the Hebrews and for us, God stands sentinel
in the night.
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The story of the exodus
is the story of God's leading his people from servitude to service. God is the
subject of this story. God is the liberator. He wants his people to be free. In
creation he has given man freewill. He made man in his own image and likeness.
He wants his people to give him service in freedom. On the journey from bondage
to the holy land of the free, they came to Mt Sinai. There he gives them the
law that makes us free. God guides, he does not force. God's law gives the
people security and peace, the tranquillity of the right order. The letter to
the Hebrews says that the exodus was an adventure of Faith. Faith in the future
made the people leave the fleshpots of Egypt. Faith in the God-appointed leader
made them venture into the unknown future which was so full of foreseen
hardships. Faith showed them that God was the greater value to serve.
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When it comes to
talking about power and authority, we cannot deny that power and authority is
mighty. It can acquire status and wealth and even mobilize armies to go to war.
But besides the high and mighty, there are also ordinary people who fall into
the temptation of resorting to power and might to get things going their way
and also to get people to accept their ways. They will either brawl and shout
to get their ideas and their ways across. That was the way of the Pharisees
which we heard about in the gospel. They used their authority and influence to
plot against Jesus and how to destroy him. It is a typical case of power and
authority being abused and misused.
What about Jesus? As quoted from the prophet Isaiah: "He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick until He has led the truth to victory". Indeed, the way of Jesus is gentleness and compassion. Let us remember that whatever power and authority we might have over others must be exercised with gentleness and compassion.
With power and
authority comes the obligation to serve with love and truth. May our lives be rooted
in love and truth so that the crushed may be healed and the faltering may be
strengthened.
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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.
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Prayer: Lord our
God, you gave us Jesus, your Son, as the wise and perfect servant of you and of
the people. Put your Spirit on us too, that like him and with him we may bring
your healing and justice to the weak and the dispossessed, without calling
attention to ourselves, that people may see that what we give them is your
tender care as taught us by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
