Mt 12:14-21
14The Pharisees went out and took counsel against [Jesus] to put him to death. 15When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many [people] followed him, and he cured them all, 16but he warned them not to make him known. 17This 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./ 19He will not contend or cry out,/ nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets./ 20A bruised reed he will not break,/ a smoldering wick he will not quench,/ until he brings justice to victory./ 21And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
THE CHOSEN SERVANT: In presenting the identity of Jesus, Matthew uses the oracle of Isaiah on the Ebed Yahweh, God’s Servant (Is 42:1-4), emphasizing the meekness and gentleness of the Servant. The oracle explains why Jesus withdraws from the synagogue where the Pharisees are gathered and why he deliberately avoids making his true identity known to the public. The oracle also voices out who Jesus truly is: the beloved one in whom God is pleased. It recalls the heavenly voice at Jesus’ baptism (Mt 3:17) and the voice from the clouds at the transfiguration (Mt 17:5). The oracle identifies Jesus as the bearer of the Holy Spirit.
The plot hatched by the Pharisees foreshadows the suffering and death of Jesus, the meek Servant. But with his death comes victory, a victory which brings hope to the pagans. Indeed, the victory of the resurrection opens the door to preaching to the Gentiles. If, during his public ministry, Jesus limited himself to the lost children of Israel, now with his resurrection, the good news is preached to all the nations. The risen Christ gives the apostles this command: “Go… and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).