Today's Gospel

The Map to Hope

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. I'm Matthew Kelly. Each day we're listening to the gospel of the day. We're looking for a word or phrase or an idea that jumps out at us, that the Spirit uses to stir something within us. Today's reading is from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 12:14-21, "But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus and thought about how to destroy him. Jesus was aware of this ,and he withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, 'Behold, my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry out loud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick till he brings justice to victory and in his name will the Gentiles hope.'"

It jumps out at you today. Two things jump out at me, sort of related. I've always loved this phrase, "He will not break the bruised reed." It's a beautiful image. It's a beautiful compassion. And it's a care, seeing in these days just this beautiful care that God has for us. I think sometimes we are the bruised, and he doesn't break us. But sometimes we see the bruised in our lives, and we're called to have that same compassion with those people who cross our paths. And then the last word-- the last phrase is, "And in his name will the Gentiles hope." Hope's a beautiful word. Again, it's this invitation to believe in a future. It's his invitation to believe in a future in this life. It's his invitation to believe in a future in the next life.

And so wherever you are today, whatever it is you're struggling with, Jesus is inviting us to look down the road and to hope in Him. Even if we can't see very far down the road, even if we don't know how He's going to bring us out of the mess that we've gotten ourselves into, or bring us through the struggle that we are grappling with, to hope that he is. I find in my own life when I have trouble hoping in a situation or hoping in the future, I find it helpful to look into the past and to look at the ways that God has directed my life, that God has saved me from situations or brought me through situations. And by looking into the past and seeing God's care or God's providence, I think it does give us great confidence and great hope that He will care for us and provide for us in the future. Have a great day. Remember, don't just be yourself. Be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.