Matthew 12:15-21
Summary
Many of Jesus’ contemporaries believed that God would send a powerful deliverer to set them free from the oppression of Rome. In some cases, they thought that God would actually reverse the circumstances: other nations and peoples would be sent away or become subservient to the Israelites. Because of this widespread expectation, which was very different from Jesus’ own model of leadership and deliverance, Jesus sometimes tried to keep people from spreading the word about him too quickly.
In Matthew 12, Jesus is said to be acting out the model of leadership that is found in the “servant songs” of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus came not to be a warrior king, but a servant king.
The whole people of Israel were called to be the Lord’s servant, a beacon of light in the world. They were meant to be reflectors of the light of blessing that God had shed on them, but instead they often tended to act as solar panels, receiving God’s blessing and keeping it for themselves. Because of this failure, this servant role ultimately would be fulfilled by one person. Jesus was this Servant that the people, and the world, needed. As the Servant, Jesus had a close personal relationship with God his Father. As the Servant, Jesus had come to serve all the nations, not just his own. And as the Servant, Jesus was willing even to suffer and die in order to bring God’s true justice and healing to the world.
We all need Jesus the Servant’s help. Inviting Jesus into our lives entails recognizing our need, and it will mean letting him reorder our lives. This is for our good, and it is worth any disruption that it brings.
Receiving Jesus into our lives also means that we get to share in Jesus’ own life, and are thereby set free to be servants ourselves. Only Jesus is the Suffering Servant who atones for our sins, but by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can joyfully live as his servants in and for the world.
Discussion Questions
1. In Matthew 12:15, Jesus is dealing with the challenge of people being against him (see verses 13-14). How do you respond to personal conflict and opposition? Is your tendency to respond defensively, aggressively, or by running away (or some other response)? Why do you think this is so?
2. Read the quotation in Matthew 12:18-21 (which comes from Isaiah 42). It is the profile of the Servant of the Lord. Note the aspects of this profile that you find most appealing or convicting. Why do these aspects stand out to you?
3. Observe the relationship the Servant has with God in verse 18. How would you characterize your relationship with God? In what ways would you like to see that relationship improve, and what are some steps you are taking in that direction?
4. Observe the attitude of the Servant toward “the nations” in verses 18 and 21.
a. How does this speak to our tendency to be “solar panels” rather than “reflectors” when it comes to what we do with God’s blessings?
b. What do you think this tells us about God’s thoughts on our international relationships?
c. How might it speak to or challenge our own patriotic love for our community or province or country?
5. Observe the Servant’s relationships to opposition and to the vulnerable in verses 19-20.
a. What do you think it means for the Servant not to “quarrel or cry out”? Is this an easy path to take?
b. The servant’s goal is to bring “justice through to victory.” What do you think this meant in Jesus’ own life, death, and resurrection? What might it suggest to us as we consider our mission in God’s world?
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