Jesus, aware of this, 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 will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
This prophecy in Isaiah42:1-4 had to be well known to the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day, yet they chose to ignore it. See Acts 22:17-22 for an example of their reaction to Paul's statement that he had been sent to the Gentiles.
Do we today chose to ignore our LORD's command to love the lost, the least, and the lonely? His message of mercy and grace is to go out to all the nations, yet we ignore those among us. Our ministries are called to the prisons and ex-inmates, to unwed mothers and fathers, to the unborn, to addicts and alcoholics, and to …the list goes on and on. Are we the Pharisees of our day? Too proud to acknowledge sin and failures? Are we unwilling to heed the direction of the Spirit to walk the Jericho Road?
Today's readings in the Psalms:
Evening: Psalm 96
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"Voices Together" is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at theFellowship Of Ailbe bookstore. A weekly edition, formatted as a bi-fold insert and suitable for distribution can be downloaded at https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/52-general-downloads. The next edition is available by Thursday of the prior week.
