This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church

Reading 1, Micah 2:1-5

1 Disaster for those who plot evil, who lie in bed planning mischief! No sooner is it dawn than they do it, since they have the power to do so.

2 Seizing the fields that they covet, they take over houses as well, owner and house they seize alike, the man himself as well as his inheritance.

3 So the Lord says this: Look, I am now plotting a disaster for this breed from which you will not extricate your necks; you will not hold your heads up then, for the times will be disastrous indeed.

4 That day they will make a satire on you, they will strike up a dirge and say, ‘We have been stripped of everything; my people’s land has been divided up, no one else can restore it to them, our fields have been awarded to our despoiler.’

5 Because of this, you will have no one to measure out a share in the Lord’s community.

a Wall Street message to the rich

Micah issues a dire warning to the rich people of his nation who are able to take over lands and houses because the owners owe them money. Sometimes the owner would become a slave to his creditor. Just as they plot against the poor, so God plots against them. They have no concern for God’s community, so one day they will have no place in it: their lands will be taken away. There’s a refreshing bluntness about the prophets. They don’t mess around with an issue. Injustice is injustice even if it happened by process of law. Peter Mandelson, currently famous for his memoirs of the New Labour era in the UK was reported as saying, “There’s nothing wrong with being friends with the filthy rich.” The Bible says, well yes, there is.

Gospel, Matthew 12:14-21

14 At this the Pharisees went out and began to plot against him, discussing how to destroy him. 15 Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed him and he cured them all 16 but warned them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18” Look! My servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul delights,

I will send my Spirit upon him, and he will present judgement to the nations;

19 he will not brawl or cry out, his voice is not heard in the streets,

20 he will not break the crushed reed, or snuff the faltering wick,

21 until he has made judgement victorious; in him the nations will put their hope.”

he will not brawl or cry out

The quotation from Isaiah reminds the reader that the man who withdraws from hatred of the religious elite is God’s dear servant, who is filled with God’s Spirit to declare God’s justice. But he will not behave as a political demagogue or judge sinners harshly. Somehow (the reader will find out in the story of Jesus’ cross and resurrection) God’s justice will win out through him, and the Gentiles (the nations) will find their hopes fulfilled. In Jesus, the way in which God’s justice comes, is spelt out. It will not happen by supernatural dramas, but by the patient goodness of God in Jesus, his suffering servant. All of us have to learn that justice cannot be achieved by those who are unwilling to suffer.