Exodus 12:37–42
Matthew 12:14–21
You might have noticed that most of this gospel today is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah. More specifically Matthew takes it from the first Servant Song in Isaiah. It is the longest quote among the Scripture that Matthew quietly weaves into his gospel. But why does Matthew chose to remind us at this moment in the Gospel of this Servant? Is it because he wants us to understand Jesus through the Servant Isaiah speaks of? Yes, Matthew wants to assure us of the prophetic dimension of Jesus identity. But he wants us to focus this time on a specific aspect of being Servant. So he places this quote is in response to two movements of Jesus.
The first is found in the second sentence. Jesus ‘withdraws’ from an encounter with the Pharisees, an encounter that assured him of his death. Jesus withdraws. In Greek the word is anachorein. At first, this might not mean much. However, in English we know it in its noun form: anchorite. A word that has heavy monastic overtones. The first of two monastic themes found in the gospel today. The anchorite traditionally withdraws from the world to live apart. Matthew shows us that Jesus withdraws upon hearing the plot to put him to death. Jesus withdraws from a possible confrontation and ill-spoken words. He withdraws from contention. It is true he will die, but he withdraws from the company of those who plot against him to be true to his identity—to be the servant, to lead a life that is characteristic of one beloved by God, to be the servant who does not engage in contention.
Jesus withdraws from one encounter to engage in a service that models how God acts. So Matthew roots Jesus ministry among the sick and vulnerable as a fulfillment of God’s way of being with us, the way of the Servant, obedient and humble. Jesus does not shout us down, shame us, or prove us ignorant. He does nothing for show, but rather quietly, behind the scenes as it were. Jesus is not one to break what is already hurting. He will not pull apart what is broken in people’s lives. He will not kill a spirit that is weak and overcome by anxieties, sorrow or even loss of meaning in life. Matthew says that Jesus healed them all. Matthew shows us Jesus as one who walks precisely into our humanity’s wounds, hurts and fears and right in the midst of them seeks healing and reconciliation, restoration of hope and love. This, says Matthew, is the good news coming from our God made visible in his beloved Son, Jesus. This is the second movement of Jesus that Matthew wants us to focus on.
I am not sure that our oblate community studies chapter 64 of the Rule of Benedict. It is about choosing an abbot, so probably it not on the list of major text for oblates to meditate on. It is one of the chapters in the Rule on leadership in the community. But, in this chapter we do find a second monastic connection with the gospel we have just heard. For Benedict is not afraid to describe the abbot’s ministry in words that Matthew quotes from the Servant Song. When the leader of the monastery must deal with difficult members and call them to task, Benedict reminds him to be aware of his own fragility. Benedict then he reminds him “not to break the bruised reed” (RB 64.13) Benedict sees leadership as necessarily shaped by the model of the Servant of Isaiah and by Jesus the beloved Servant.
Today the four of you oblate candidates gathered here will come forward and make a commitment to model in your life the way of Benedict. Like Jesus, it will not mean a withdrawal from the world with its stresses conflicts and maybe put positively, its growing pains. Like Jesus, your promise to activate the Rule in your lives will mean bringing to life the picture of being human that Benedict offers in the short chapters of the Rule.
True, none of you will become abbots, but that will not excuse you from doing what Jesus did, finding the meaning for how you will behave towards others from the words of Scripture and the Rule. What Benedict puts before his abbot in how to be a leader, Benedict also offers to us. What Benedict says about the abbot, he says about us too. What Matthew says about Jesus’ way of being with us in our brokeness, he is saying to us who follow Jesus.
Jesus was reminded that he was to die. And then he withdraws to continue his way of no contention, helping to reconcile and heal. His alternative vision of humanity. Benedict tells us to be aware of our fragility, our potential for snapping, our wick burning out. Be aware of that and then be humble. And out of that humility of standing in the truth of yourself you will be able to approach others with understanding, care and kindness. You will learn how to speak quietly and encouragingly to others. You will above all see the weakness of others, as Benedict says, and refrain from putting others down. Jesus withdrew in order to stay true himself and live deeply from being the beloved Son. An oblate is called to withdraw to the loved center of yourself. From there you will live the Benedictine way of humility, of patience, of tending for the bruises that are the lot of so many. Aware like Jesus of the inner love, you will speak gently and hopefully to others who know only shame or feel forgotten. It is in this way that justice will be worked out and offered to our world. It will be a justice grounded in preferring nothing to the way Christ loved us. Walking in that way, even running as St. Benedict says, will result in a heart expanded in love beyond all telling.
~Prior, Fr. Joel Macul, OSB
