WORLD-CHANGING GENTLENESS
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To explain what Jesus was doing in healing “all who were ill” (Matthew 12:15) and ministering to the people, Matthew borrowed these lines from the first few verses of Isaiah 42. It described the gentleness of Jesus’ ministry—His concern for the weakest and seemingly most insignificant—that would somehow be world-changing and bring hope to the nations. In Jesus, the vulnerable and marginalized found a sympathetic and powerful ally.
At the same time, the powerful—those who oppress and benefit from injustice—were confronted with the assurance that justice would be victorious.
In effect, this is a similar description to that in Mary’s song when she celebrated the news of the coming of Jesus with her cousin Elizabeth: “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:52, 53). This was good news to the poor and a challenge to the rich and powerful. How we hear descriptions such as these will depend on where we are positioned in our society and culture. The Gospels have a significantly countercultural bent.
They are also notably practical in their portrayal and understanding of the ministry of Jesus, and their descriptions of the anger aroused among the leaders and privileged of His day underline this dynamic of what Jesus did. Jesus was not the usual revolutionary known throughout history. His was a revolution of gentleness, kindness, and justice—but no less revolutionary or world-changing for its approach, perhaps even more so.
This is the revolution we are invited to be part of as His followers.
