Matthew 12

“and in His name the Gentiles shall hope.” (vs. 21) This is the verse I kept coming back to. This picks up a nuance that is not entirely clear in Isaiah’s original (at least in our translations. Isaiah 42.4 actually is translated as “and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.” in the NASB. Perhaps Matthew is attempting to help his Jewish readers understand that this wasn’t the Jewish coastal dwellers Isaiah was referring to, but non-Jews. Christ came to give hope to all! This was the Jewish Messiah, but He was for Jew and Gentile alike! He healed all who came, Jew and Gentile, man or woman, rich or poor. He was literally “equal opportunity” before that was cool. In His day, it was most certainly not.

Lord, thank You for modeling a love for all nations through Your Son. May our lives also reflect this love across the boundaries we are so quick to use to excuse our lack of action. Lord, may I help to take Your love across racial, ethnic, nationalistic, and all other boundaries. May I show the love I have received fromYou to all I meet without bias or expectation of receiving anything in return. Amen.