THEOSISAlexander Gorsky
The Evangelist Matthew, at this juncture in his account, reflects on the actions of the Lord Jesus as a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic declarations: “Behold, My chosen servant, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will place My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim the truth to the nations. He will neither shout nor raise His voice, nor will anyone hear His cries in the wilderness. He will not break a bruised reed, nor extinguish a smoldering wick, until He brings forth victory in justice. In His name, the nations will place their hope.”
Read more (448 words)
The full passage from Isaiah reads: “This is My servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not raise His voice, nor will He make it heard in the streets. He will not crush a bruised reed, nor extinguish a flickering flame; instead, He will establish justice according to the truth. He will not falter nor be discouraged until He has set justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for His law.”
Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who laid the foundations of the earth and gave breath to its inhabitants. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand and guard you. I will appoint you as a covenant for My people and a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring forth those bound in darkness, and to free the captives.”
The gentle demeanor of the Divine teacher toward those lacking faith, as well as His thoughtful approach to all, even the faintest inclinations to belief, is captured perfectly by the prophet. To Him, the voice of God the Father testified from heaven at His baptism, affirming Him as His beloved Son, in whom He finds delight. The Spirit descended upon Him like a gentle dove, compelling Him to engage with the prejudices and passions of humanity quietly and unobtrusively, not through the display of power but through the illumination of truth.
If there remained a damaged support for those who had relied upon it, He allowed it to stand, providing support for a while longer. If a lamp still flickered, dim though its light was, He permitted it to glow as long as it could. He sought only the purification of the temple services and did not reject the teachers of the law, instead encouraging compliance with their teachings.
When the fervor of humanity, provoked by His illuminating presence, turned against Him, He withdrew without retaliating against those who were guilty. He departed from Nazareth without causing any disturbance and left Jerusalem shortly thereafter, maintaining the peace, with His voice silent in the streets. Instead, He went to the sea and instructed those healed not to disclose His identity as the Son of God.
Wherever He observed even the slightest signs of faith and conversion, He nurtured them, encouraging growth and elevating their spirits — as seen in His interactions with the Samaritan woman, the courtier from Capernaum, and the paralytic. This gentle engagement characterized His relationship with His disciples as well.