18th Week in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 9th August 2023 – Numbers chs. 13 & 14; Mt 15,21-28
Forgetfulness Anchors Fear
The first reading gives us a synopsis of the events regarding Moses’ sending of best and brightest scouts of each of the twelve families into the Promised Land. They are commissioned to reconnoiter the land into which God wants to lead them and see if it is a “land flowing with milk and honey.” After forty days of travelling through the land, they are amazed at the richness of the land. They bring back samples of the bounty of the land. The people are at first excited at the report of the scouts. Then they spread the bad news that the people living in the land are giant warriors who will not be easily conquered. The people forgot about all that God has already done for them in freeing them from their Egyptian enslavers. They fear the consequences of having to do battle, not being conscious of God’s promise to be with them. They lack faith in the God of the promise. Because of this, God punishes them that they remain in the desert for a total of forty years, until everyone of the rebellious person passes away and new generation of Israelites, who will accept God’s help come about. The Israelites lack true faith in God and God’s promises. The Lord is displeased with the people, who are being driven by fear and being rooted in lack of trust. Therefore, God will delay the people’s entry into the new land by one year for everyday that their leaders explored.
