Short Reflection
Jacob’s shock at hearing about Joseph
He was stunned; he could not believe them.
The French text (in the Nouvelle Edition de Genève) reads
Mais le cœur de Jacob resta froid, parce qu’il ne les croyait pas.
But Jacob’s heart remained cold
because he did not believe them.
It was only after the brothers told him what Joseph had said to them and showed him Joseph’s gifts that he dared to believe what they’d told him.
And at once he set out to go to Joseph in Egypt.
Healing of an outcast
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is seen yet again to be mixing with outcasts and foreigners.
A leper, cast out from the community because of his sickness, kneels before him,
Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.
To which Jesus replies,
I do choose. Be made clean!
The legacy of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
In response to the great faith shown by the Roman centurion, whose servant was in great distress, Jesus declares that his faith has saved the servant and that many will come from all over the world to share in the inheritance of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In Matthew’s Gospel, miracles aren’t elaborate and are mostly about declaring the messianic age; they are a response to faith and indeed Jesus needs to see faith before he does these signs.
The Evangelist is writing among Jews for a Jewish audience, both making the point that the scriptures are fulfilled in Jesus and effectively warning them that their lack of faith is perilous for them: they are at risk of losing their place in the Kingdom, not because God has withdrawn his promise but because they do not believe.
Trusting in God
What Jesus is asking of his hearers is that they place their trust in him, abandoning any attempt to do it by themselves.
And this is difficult; we all like a safety net. Yet, to paraphrase Richard Holloway, Jesus is calling us to dance on the edge.
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