Breaking the Word

First Week of Advent, Friday – 2^nd December 2022 — Gospel: Matthew 9, 27-31

Jesus, the Son of David

The title “Son of David” portrays Jesus as Israel’s royal Messiah in whom prophecy concerning David is being fulfilled. This title gains prominence as it is sandwiched between royal descriptions of Jesus’ identity in the first verse of the Gospel (1,1). These titles “Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” are key to Matthew’s expression of Jesus’ identity in his gospel. Each of these titles are royal within the tradition of Israel, links Jesus with Israel’s history and offers hopes to all God’s people. The title is accented here in order to contrast with Israel’s blindness to the one sent to them as the Messiah.  This son of David would use his royal power to heal the needy and bring hope about God’s rule of justice upon his people.

The story of the two blind men places emphasis on their initiative and faith. Their cry to the Son of David emphasizes his compassion and humility amidst his messianic power. Their loud call to Jesus and their following him right into a house demonstrate their tenacious faith. For Matthew the title “Son of David” is predicate for Jesus as healer. The narrative also emphasizes, as do the other accounts, the touch of Jesus as an instrument of healing. And so Matthew has used frequently the messianic title “Son of David” with strong emphasis on faith.  In his gospel Jesus is hailed in faith by the blind (9,27; 20,30-31), the Canaanite (15,22), the crowds (12,23; 21,9), and the children (21,15).

1^st Week of Advent, Thursday – 1^st December 2022 — Gospel:  Mt 7,21.24-27

Foundations are not Glamorous

All foundations seem firm in a normal situation. Good weather doesn’t test the strength of a building. The real test comes when the climate turns nasty. In many of the natural calamities, we have experienced this. In Spiritual life too, similar thing occurs. When serenity reigns around us, peace blossoms effortlessly. But when a crisis happens to us, such as a rejection, an illness, or an unbearable loss, then our faith is tested. We experience the sturdiness or oscillations in our faith. Jesus exhorts his disciples to build foundations of faith on the rock. To dig solid foundations of faith is a hard work. It demands constancy in prayer, charity and generosity. It also requires humility and purity of intention since preparing a foundation is not glamorous. There’s nothing particularly beautiful in the groundwork that is always hidden. In the same way, the foundation of our spiritual life remains hidden. Digging a foundation demands us to go deeper to remove our worst faults. Faith in Jesus demands us to penetrate our hearts and minds. Peter, who boasted that he would stand by our Lord, “though all may have their faith in you shaken” (Mt 26,33), abandoned Him in the garden of Gethsemane, as did all the apostles. However, when he did a soul search, he overcame his oscillations and put his foot firm till the end, come what may.