Replies

From: Micah 2:1-5

The prophet denounces social injustice

[1] Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil upon their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
[2] They covet fields, and seize them;
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.
[3] Therefore thus says the Lord:
Behold, against this family I am devising evil,
from which you cannot remove your necks;
and you shall not walk haughtily.
for it will be an evil time.
[4] In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you,
and wail with bitter lamentation,
and say, “We are utterly ruined:
he changes the portion of my people;
how he removes it from me!
Among our captors he divides our fields.”
[5] Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot
in the assembly of the Lord.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

2:1-5. This is an oracle beginning with “Woe!”, and it is directed against the
social injustice perpetuated by the well-to-do who take advantage of the poorer
members of society. Micah speaks very clearly in this denunciation. The peo-
ple with power seem to spend all their time coveting, robbing and cheating: they
spend their nights making their plans, and their days carrying them out (vv. 1-2).
The odd thing is that these men seem to be men of faith, for the words that the
prophet puts on their lips (v. 4) are an acknowledgment that the Lord giveth and
the Lord taketh away. Micah’s teachings are practical applications of the fifth
and tenth commandments which prohibit respectively “violence and injustice”
and “coveting the goods of another, as the root of theft, robbery and fraud, which
the seventh commandment forbids. ‘Lust of the eyes’ leads to the violence and
injustice forbidden by the fifth commandment” (Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 2534).

The Lord tells what punishment will apply to such sins — the oppression in ex-
ile (v. 3), and confiscation of property (v. 4). It seems to be a veiled example of
the application of the law of vengeance, though to the Christian reader it sounds
somewhat like our Lord’s warning: “the measure you give will be measure you
get” (Mt 7:2).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 12:14-21

Jesus, the Suffering Servant of Yahweh

[14] But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against Him, how to destroy
Him. [15] Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed Him,
and He healed them all, [16] and ordered them not to make Him known. [17]
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: [18] “Behold my ser-
vant 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. [19] He
will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear His voice in the streets; [20]
He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick, till He brings jus-
tice to victory; [21] and in His name will the Gentiles hope.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

17-21. Once again the sacred text points out the contrast between the contem-
porary mistaken Jewish notion of a spectacular messianic kingdom and the dis-
cernment which Jesus asks of those who witness and accept His teaching and
miracles. By providing this long quotation from Isaiah (42:1-4), the Evangelist is
giving us the key to the teaching contained in Chapters 11 and 12: in Jesus the
prophecy of the Servant of Yahweh is fulfilled: the lovable and gentle teacher
has come to bring the light of truth.

When narrating the passion of our Lord, the Gospels will once again remind us
of the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, to show that in Jesus the suffering and
expiatory aspect of the death of the Servant finds fulfillment (cf. Matthew 27:30,
with reference to Is 50:6; Matthew 8:17 and Isaiah 53:4; John 1:38 and Isaiah
53:9-12; etc.).

17. Isaiah 42:1-4 speaks of a humble servant, beloved of God, chosen by God.
And in fact Jesus, without ceasing to be the Son of God, one in substance with
the Father, took the form of a servant (cf. Philippians 2:6). This humility led him
to cure and care for the poor and afflicted of Israel, without seeking acclaim.

18. See the note on Matthew 3:16.

[Note on Matthew 3:16 states:

16. Jesus possessed the fullness of the Holy Spirit from the moment of His con-
ception. This is due to the union of human nature and divine nature in the per-
son of the Word (the dogma of hypostatic union). Catholic teaching says that in
Christ there is only one person (who is divine) but two natures (divine and human).
The descent of the Spirit of God spoken of in the text indicates that just as Jesus
was solemnly commencing His messianic task, so the Holy Spirit was beginning
His action through Him. There are very many texts in the Old Testament which
speak of the showing forth of the Holy Spirit in the future Messiah. This sign of
the Spirit gave St. John the Baptist unmistakable proof of the genuineness of his
testimony concerning Christ (cf. John 1:29-34). The mystery of the Holy Trinity is
revealed in the baptism of Jesus: the Son is baptized; the Holy Spirit descends
on Him in the form of a dove; and the voice of the Father gives testimony about
His Son. Christians must be baptized in the name of the Three Divine Persons.
“If you have sincere piety, the Holy Spirit will descend on you also and you will
hear the voice of the Father saying to you from above: “This was not My son, but
now after Baptism he has been made My son” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “De Bap-
tismo”, 14).]

19. The justice proclaimed by the Servant, who is filled with the Holy Spirit, is
not a noisy virtue. We can see the loving, gentle way Jesus worked His miracles,
performing righteousness in all humility. This is how He brings about the triumph
of His Father’s Justice, His plan of revelation and salvation—very quietly and very
effectively.

20. According to many Fathers, including St. Augustine and St. Jerome, the
bruised reed and the smoldering wick refer to the Jewish people. They also stand
for every sinner, for our Lord does not seek the sinner’s death but his conversion,
and his life (cf. Ezekiel 33:11). The Gospels often bear witness to this reassuring
truth (cf. Luke 15:11-32), the parable of the prodigal son; Matthew 18:12-24, the
parable of the lost sheep; etc.).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.