The Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death. 15 When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many [people] followed him, and he cured them all, 16 but he warned them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “18 Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. 21 And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
After Jesus had several conflicts with the Pharisees, especially the healings on the Sabbath, the Pharisees discussed with the Herodians how they could put Jesus to death (Mk. 3:6). Jesus realized their intent and did not confront them but withdrew to districts in the countryside. He cured all who followed him but warned them not to make him known as the Messiah (v. 16). Matthew saw his avoidance of confrontation as the fulfillment of a passage in Isaiah about the servant of the Lord (Is. 42:1-4; vv. 18-21).
The servant in the quote from Isaiah is thought by Christians to be Jesus. The “beloved” and “chosen” servant is the Son that was baptized by JBap (Mt. 3:17). God loves and is pleased with the spirit-filled servant (v. 18) who is gentle and cares for all who are outcasts, especially the weak and the infirm. Jesus is meek and humble of heart (Mt. 11:29) and will not noisily battle with the religious leaders (vv. 19-20). In Isaiah, there were two references to the Gentiles to whom Jesus will proclaim the revelation of God (vv. 18, 21). Those verses could be an allusion to Jesus being rejected by Jews and withdrawing to areas outside of the reach of the Jewish leadership where Gentiles placed their hope in him.
Almighty God, we are the weak and infirm servants of your chosen servant Jesus and we place our hope in him with whom you are well pleased. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may give praise to the Lord and joyfully accomplish the tasks you have given to us. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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