Scripture: Matthew 12:15-21
When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Thought for the Day: Matthew’s Gospel is considered the most Jewish of the Gospels, but the ministry of Jesus still extended to those who were considered outsiders. The prophetic words referenced in this part of Matthew speak of justice coming even to the Gentiles. This justice shall come through the servant of God. Hope is a key factor in bringing this justice, for it allows us to see what otherwise is not visible. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “We must accept finite disappointments, but never lose infinite hope.” The problem happens when we allow finite disappointments to shatter any hope we have in the One who is infinite. Disappointment is powerful, and it can limit a person’s capacity to see beyond the disappointment itself. What was a momentary letdown suddenly becomes the defining voice for an individual’s future. It happens too often — one moment in the past utterly defines a person’s future. God never intended it to be so, and the message of the chosen servant is that hope in the One who is infinite shall allow us to be a part of God’s amazing future.
Prayer: For your future that I cannot see, Lord, I need to find hope. Continue to encourage me in the belief that the past does not need to define the future, especially a future that you are creating. Amen.
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