The Gentiles Will Hope


Matthew 12:18-21
18“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
21and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

This week’s Gospel reading is rather a cheat, as it is actually a quote from the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah. It is a beautiful prophecy that will be fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ almost 700 years after it was written. In this prophetic word we find out that the Messiah will come not only for the Jews, but for the whole world (the Gentiles).

It is important to keep this quote in context. Having made yet another stand against the Pharisees, Jesus removes Himself from any further confrontation at that time. Instead He cares for the people, bringing healing to all who need Him. Despite opposition, Jesus remains true to His role as our Creator and Care-Giver. With this passage we see that Jesus never loses control of His situation. His contentious dance with the Pharisees is intriguing and well-choreographed by the Savior Himself.

In the verses immediately previous to this passage, we see that Jesus is the Lord over the Sabbath. He will not be bound by man-made rules and indeed, He is far more important in the lives of the people than the Temple or even the Sabbath. That confrontation with the religious authorities moves Him ever closer to the showdown that ends in His Passion. Now when He orders the people to remain silent about His miracles, He does so in order to control the flow of information back to the Pharisees. His ministry remains intensely personal and gentle. Despite His contention with the Pharisees, He is still caring and compassionate with those who would receive Him – even the Gentiles.

The quote from Isaiah 42 brings Jesus into focus for those who are with Him. While He came first to the Jews (His own people) he also comes for the Gentiles. Needless to say, the Disciples didn’t quite understand that message at this point in the story, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Our lack of understanding doesn’t negate truth. Most certainly there were Gentiles among those that Jesus heals in His ministry and in fact we have a few stories recorded that confirm that point. For those in the religious leadership, the concept that Jesus came also for those outside of the Jewish faith would have been an anathema. Why would the Son of David come for anyone other than the Jews? That wouldn’t make any sense to them. But it makes perfect sense to the God who plans to save the world from the power of sin.

Our desire to destroy that which doesn’t fall within our scope of understanding is an age-old story. We have numerous examples throughout history of people who are killed because they brought something new or simply different to the table. Jesus brings the most radical concept of all – God’s love is for ALL people, not just one race or nation. For this teaching alone He would be considered dangerous and worthy of eradication. Of course His message goes even beyond that, but it is inclusive. All have sinned, all are in need of a Savior, and thus He is the hope of the world.

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