So Jesus went away from there!

Matthew 12:14-21

The Pharisees went out and met in order to find a way to destroy Jesus. Jesus knew what they intended to do, so he went away from there. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all. But he ordered them not to spread the word about him, so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

Look, my Servant whom I chose, the one I love, in whom I find great pleasure. I’ll put my Spirit upon him, and he’ll announce judgment to the Gentiles. He won’t argue or shout, and nobody will hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a bent stalk, and he won’t snuff out a smoldering wick, until he makes justice win. And the Gentiles will put their hope in his name.

Food for thought!

Did you know that by fighting your enemy you make them heroes? The more you hate someone the more s/he will become famous, because all the time you will be thinking of nothing but her or him. In a sense the highest compliment you can pay a person is to persecute him or her. This is what the religious leaders (the Pharisees and Scribes) of the time of Jesus did. They cannot stop hating him, and they don't stop following him from place to place. The more they hate Jesus, the larger the crowds that follow him. 

All of this reminds us of two things. One, that when it comes to Jesus, even religious leaders can be wrong. Two, that when it comes to Jesus everyone must make up their mind to follow him or not, regardless of what religious leaders do or say. Today's gospel shows this very well: while "The Pharisees went out and met in order to find a way to destroy Jesus...Large crowds followed him." Following Jesus is indeed a personal decision.

Did you notice that when his enemies decided to ruin him, Jesus just moved on? He did not fight them. He did not argue with them. He just moved on with his life. The gospel says that "went away from there". What does Jesus want to teach us by his going away? 

He is saying that weakness is no sin, and can even become strength if you learn how and when to do it. Why lower yourself to the level of your enemies by arguing with them? Why let your enemies ruin your life? Yes, it is always our first instinct to react, to meet aggression with aggression. But the next time someone pushes you and you find yourself starting to react, remember to not lower yourself to the level of your opponent by arguments. 

Let's do as Jesus did: he went away from there! We too must learn to change places, change topic, move on, think of something else, or literally go away before the enemy ruins your life. By so doing, you appear to bend. But you are not, since you only appear to surrender like the animal that plays dead to save its skin. This is the essence of the surrender tactic: inwardly you stay firm, but outwardly you move on.

Jesus knew what they intended to do, so he went away from there.