Today’s readings contrast two very different kinds of power.
The power that serves itself.
And the power that serves others.
The prophet Micah begins with a condemnation.
“Woe to those who plot evil, who lie in bed planning mischief.”
The picture is almost chilling.
These people are not caught in sudden temptation.
They are planning injustice.
They wake up thinking about how they can get more.
More land.
More wealth.
More power.
And because they have the ability to do it, they do it.
There is a great truth hidden there.
Power itself is not evil.
But power detached from God easily becomes destructive.
When people forget that authority is a responsibility, it becomes a tool for self-interest.
The strong exploit the weak.
The rich exploit the poor.
The powerful take what they want.
That is exactly what Micah sees happening.
And God declares that such behaviour cannot continue forever.
Because God hears the cry of those who are oppressed.
God sees injustice.
God is not indifferent.
The Gospel presents a striking contrast.
The Pharisees have already decided they want to destroy Jesus.
They have seen His miracles.
They have heard His teaching.
Yet their hearts are closed.
And so Matthew tells us:
“The Pharisees went out and began to plot against him, discussing how to destroy him.”
Notice the similarity.
In Micah, people lie awake planning evil.
In the Gospel, people plot against Christ.
The human heart has not changed very much.
Yet Jesus responds completely differently.
He does not organise a political campaign.
He does not gather an army.
He does not seek revenge.
He quietly withdraws.
And continues healing.
Then Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah:
“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, the favourite of my soul.”
And then:
“He will not quarrel or shout, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.”
What an extraordinary description of the Messiah.
The world expects power to be loud.
Aggressive.
Dominating.
Christ’s power is different.
It is the power of truth.
The power of holiness.
The power of sacrificial love.
The most striking line comes next:
“He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick.”
A crushed reed is already damaged.
A smouldering wick is barely alive.
The world often discards such things.
The weak.
The failing.
The struggling.
The inconvenient.
Christ does the opposite.
He protects what is weak.
He strengthens what is failing.
He restores what is broken.
That is good news for every one of us.
Because all of us know what it means to be a bruised reed.
All of us know weakness.
Failure.
Discouragement.
Sin.
Moments when faith seems small.
Moments when hope flickers.
Moments when we feel we have little left to offer.
And the Gospel tells us that Christ does not cast us aside.
He is patient.
Merciful.
Persistent.
He comes not to destroy but to heal.
The saints understood this deeply.
Many of them were not naturally strong.
Many had failures, weaknesses and wounds.
Yet Christ worked through them because they allowed Him to.
Perhaps that is the challenge of today’s readings.
Micah warns us against becoming people who use others for our own advantage.
The Gospel calls us to become more like Christ.
Patient.
Gentle.
Merciful.
Strong without being harsh.
Faithful without being proud.
The world often admires power that dominates.
The Gospel reveals a power that heals.
The world celebrates those who get ahead.
Christ blesses those who help others rise.
The world often crushes the weak.
Christ lifts them up.
And so today we might ask ourselves:
When people encounter me, do they experience something of Christ’s gentleness?
Am I quick to condemn, or eager to help?
Do I use my gifts for myself, or for others?
Do I imitate the plotting hearts condemned by Micah, or the compassionate Heart revealed in Jesus?
For in the end, the greatest power in history was not the power of emperors, armies or kingdoms.
It was the power of Christ on the Cross.
A power that seemed weak.
A power that looked defeated.
Yet a power strong enough to save the world.
And it is that power of humble, patient, merciful love that Christ calls us to live today.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 