1st Week of Advent, Wednesday – 2nd December 2020 — Gospel: Mt 15,29-37
Movement from Glorifying to Thanksgiving
Today’s Gospel emphasizes on the movement of the great crowds towards Jesus and the manifestation of Jesus’ divine power and his compassionate sharing with them. Initially it appears that Jesus withdrew from the crowds. Most scholars believe that this remote location (Mt 15,33) of Jesus’ ministry is predominantly the Gentile region of Galilee and fits better with the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the region known as the Decapolis. However the various affirmative pursuit of the crowds for physical wholeness, altered Jesus’ attitude and gesture. The evangelist’s narrative highlights that the great crowds first “came” to Jesus and “placed” themselves at his feet. Then after their personal healing, they were not only “amazed” of Jesus’ powerful manifestation, but went to the extent of “glorifying the God of Israel.” In this section we read nothing about any faith on the part of those who were healed, except for the fact that they came to Jesus for help. This expression “They glorified the God of Israel” suggests that the crowds present were non-Israelite. It brings to focus that as Jesus healed and provided for this mixed Gentile multitude, he always drew attention to the God the Father, the God of Israel. The predominantly Gentile crowd too learned to praise the God of Israel as it witnessed God’s powerful manifestation through Jesus, the source of wellness. Their spontaneous response of praise led Jesus to perform the great miracle of multiplication of bread, with the gesture of thanksgiving.
