Matthew 4,12-17.23-25 – Feria proper of January 7th
“Jesus went about throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and infirmities among the people.”
The comparison that today’s Gospel makes with the teaching of Jesus is beautiful. It almost seems to want to tell us that the word of Jesus is not simply an informational word, but a healing word. Jesus teaches and heals at the same time.
We Christians have very often forgotten this profound connection that exists between the word of Jesus and the possibility of healing. In fact, the frequency of the word of God is not a magical fact, nor simply an intellectual fact, but it is the possibility of believing that that word has the power to enter the heartto give him light, to put him in a position to make a change, a healing, a decision. Frequenting the Word of God is like constantly undergoing a form of latent exorcism. In fact, the Word has the power to free people, because it changes their outlook, gives them a different mentality, increases the gift of faith.
Of course, if left alone the Word can become dangerous because it only makes sense if it favors an encounter. For us Christians, the real encounter happens in the sacraments, in the wounded humanity of our brothers, in every circumstance of life when it is accepted as the will of God. Without the Word we are blindbut if the Word opened our eyes, it would be of no use to see without recognizing and welcoming the real presence of Christ into one’s life.
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