Hope For All The Nations

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐄𝐱𝐨 𝟏𝟐:𝟑𝟕-𝟒𝟐

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟑𝟔:𝟏, 𝟐𝟑-𝟐𝟒, 𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟓 "𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫." 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟏𝟐:𝟏𝟒-𝟐𝟏

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑰𝒏 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆.” (𝒗.21) 

         Our Gospel passage today can be better understood if we take time to at least read through the preceding passage in 𝐯𝐯. 𝟗-𝟏𝟒 where the Scribes and Pharisees were left speechless after Jesus healed a man with a deformed hand during the Sabbath.

         We all know that the Jews has a very strict standard when it comes to the Sabbath and Jesus threw out all their arguments after he was asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus then cited a Mosaic law that allowed a sheep to be saved if it fell into a pit and Jesus used this exemption to stress his point that it is not against the law that man should be healed of his affliction even on a Sabbath.

         Humiliated by the argument of Jesus, the Pharisees started to plot against him (𝐯.𝟏𝟒). In fact, they wanted to arrest him at the synagogue were it not for the crowd (Mark’s account described the crowd as a multitude) that had gathered at the Temple, drawn by the news of miraculous healings that Jesus did.

        And this is the same with us, many of us think of going to Jesus whenever we feel forlorn and or are heavily burdened by frustrations, disappointments and despair. It has become customary for many of our sisters and brothers to only think of Jesus when the going gets rough but we put Him aside when everything seems to be going alright in our lives.

         I too have been guilty of this. Early in my journey in the faith I labored between pursuing my business and following the path towards the righteousness of God. At that time, I just couldn’t give up my business activities even if was opposed to the standards of God. This brings to mind the current “financial irregularities” that flood the news today because I too used to bribe executives of financial institutions that I was using before as conduits for my transactions.

         I sealed my Covenant with the Lord in 1992 but I still went on with my life believing that God will understand as I was also generous in my Tithes and support for our Community activities. But somewhere along the way, I knew I will have to decide as my business dealings and the Kingdom of God are like two opposite poles and never the twain shall meet.

         But God is patient. He never abandoned me, and my conversion came in a most unusual way. My business collapsed. The swine breeding farm I put up also went bankrupt. In such a short time, I went from doing business at the coffee shops of five-star hotels to selling almost everything I had just to get by.

         I was back commuting on public transport. I could not even step into the lobby of the hotels that I used to frequent. In this time of despair, I turned to God and in His faithfulness, He carried me through.

         One day a friend of mine from out of nowhere called me up and told me to get one of the cars from their home that they are no longer using and that I could pay for it when I am able to get back on my feet. When I took the car from my friend’s home, I nearly froze when I saw a sticker of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community pasted on the car’s rear windshield.

         Right there and then I thanked the Lord for His goodness and kindness and I made a decision to put things right in my life. I started to make use of my gift as a Writer and did work as a public relations practitioner till now. The rewards may not be as much as when I was engaged in financial wheeling and dealing but we have never been in want every since.

         Trust in the Lord is all that I am banking on and I know that He will not let us down in our time of need. The multitude saw in Jesus their hope for healing and a better life. And the Pharisees who were humiliated when Jesus overruled their authority began to plot against him.

         Look at how Jesus responded to the threats of the Pharisees. Instead of a head-on confrontation which He could’ve done since He had the power to do so, yet He simply withdrew from there. This was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟐:𝟏-𝟑) describing the ministry of the Messiah.

         Jesus would not argue with His enemies (𝐯.𝟏𝟗), nor would He bring judgment upon them (𝐯.𝟐𝟎). Some Bible scholars said the “bruised reed” and “smoking flax” in verse 20 refer to the weak and needy sinners. But it is also likely that these are a representation of the enemies of Christ, people whom Christ would not judge up to when the right time comes.

         Take note also of the word “Gentiles” that appears in (𝐯𝐯.𝟏𝟖 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐𝟏), which is another indication that the King has been rejected by His nation and will instead turn to the Gentiles whom we will meet again in (𝐯𝐯.𝟒𝟏-𝟒𝟐) in a few days from now when Jesus will talk about Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba.

         As Jesus withdrew from the synagogues He went on preaching in the countryside, and He also healed all who came to him for healing. But Jesus warned the crowd not to tell anyone because He did not want the people to come to Him for the wrong reason.

         Nevertheless, Jesus offered hope to the people and instead of a king the people expected and what the people saw was a gentle ruler who brings justice to all the nations which fulfilled the prophecy in 𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟐:𝟏-𝟒 which describes Jesus as a chosen servant who is a character of gentleness, encouragement, justice and truth.

         When we become like a bruised reed, Jesus won’t toss us around like a useless reed, but He will pick us up gently and through His Spirit, we too can show our sensitivity to those around us by replicating this same gentleness that others may also be drawn to God. In Jesus, we can feel God reaching out to each one of us in love. And God expects us to also deal with one another especially the poor in a spirit of love and compassion.

         Let me end with this prayer through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel whose Memorial we celebrated the other day:

         𝘖 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘭, 𝘍𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺.

        𝘖 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.         

        𝘖 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧  𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘐 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.         

       𝘖, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘖 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘯, 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦. (3 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴)         

       𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴. (3 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴) (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 19, 2025)