BEHOLD MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN MY BELOVED

Mt 12:14-21

Once again the sacred text points out the contrast between the Jewish understanding of Jesus, and what God the Father himself says about the son.  Certainly there is a large irony in the fact that just as his enemies decide to do away with him as disobedient to God's law of the Sabbath; he is proclaimed by the inspired writer as the beloved, chosen Servant of the Lord.

Jesus had just healed a man on the Sabbath in the synagogue. He had been approached by the Pharisees because He and His disciples had walked through a grain field, and had rubbed heads of grain and ate them on the Sabbath—thus, in the view of the Pharisees, Jesus is against God’s law and should be killed. All over a sudden, the Evangelist gives us the quotation from Isaiah 42 proclaiming Jesus as the Servant of Yahweh; the lovable and gentle teacher who has come to bring the light of truth.

 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! The importance of this passage is in that quotation which tells us the character of our Savior's ministry. We are introduced to the Son by the Father, who says He is the Son, the Servant, the Beloved. In spite of what the nation concludes, in spite of what the leaders conclude, in spite of what the world says, God's testimony is here: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen.

The world’s view of Christ and God’s view of Christ have never been the same. To the heavenly Father, His Son is the perfect, sinless Servant who has always done His Father’s will and who is to be established as the King of kings forever (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16). But to the world, Jesus Christ is, at best, viewed as a rebel from God’s law; a threat to the tradition who should put to death.

And Jesus Christ, realizing that, withdrew from that place because he did not come into the world to be molded by the selfish desires of sinful people. He was not subject to the whims of religious hypocrites who demanded that He conform to their traditions. Instead, He came at the request of the heavenly Father to fulfill the Old Testament Law and provide salvation for sinners by grace, through faith, and repentance.

Dear brothers and sisters; Jesus not only faithfully obeyed the Father's will, but He also set an example for you and me to follow. He did not come into this world to be a brawler and a fighter—although it would have been in His power to do so . . . and to win! He didn't come to make fools of His opponents—although He most certainly could have! He didn't come to shout and cry in the streets in a hostile way—although it would have been certain that He would have been heard like no one else would be heard! But the fact is that He came for none of those reasons.

Rather, He came to proclaim a message—that the kingdom of God was at hand; and then, to fulfill His ministry as an atoning sacrifice in such a way as to make it possible for sinners to enter into that kingdom. If His message wasn't welcomed, He didn't fight about it. He simply moved on from those who didn't want Him, and went instead to those who would receive Him. As the scripture says: “He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.”

Sometimes as Christians, we think that it's our duty to “fight the good fight of faith” by fighting people! And there's no doubt about it; we are called to contend earnestly for the faith. Paul said, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

We sometimes think that when our faith is opposed viciously by the people of this world we are to, as it were, 'fight fire with fire' in our efforts to advance the kingdom of Christ. If we are treated aggressively, then we think that we must be aggressive in return. But the apostle James warns us, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

We are not to fight with people. We are, instead, to faithfully proclaim the truth of the gospel and live lives of holiness that adorn that truth. And, when our message is rejected, we move on. And when we are persecuted for it, leave it to God to take care of it. This—I believe—is what the Book of Revelation means when it speaks of “the patience [or endurance] and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:10).

Have you taken a good look at Jesus Christ from God’s point of view? Any other perspective is simply wrong. Have you considered who Jesus really is and all that He has done for you in your helpless condition as a sinner? He came to save you from sin and its penalty of death. He humbly brought the truth into the world and achieved victory over sin when He died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead. Do you trust in Jesus Christ?