Timing Is Everything

You have likely heard the saying, timing is everything. The success or failure of an endeavor often depends on when that endeavor is undertaken. This rule also applies in the spiritual life, and it is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects for humanity to accept. We pray in our time, but the answers come in God’s perfect time. This can be challenging for us, especially when we’re going through a difficult time and want answers now.

Gospel - Matthew 12:14-21

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus

to put him to death.

When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.

Many people followed him, and he cured them all,

but he warned them not to make him known.

This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved in whom I delight;

I shall place my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

He will not contend or cry out,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,

a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory.

And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

Scriptural Analysis

Jesus has just performed a miracle on the sabbath. This marks a change in how the Pharisees view Jesus. No longer do they simply oppose what he is saying, but now begin to plot to have him killed. The phrase “took counsel against” will be used by Matthew to describe the actions of the chief priests and the elders in his account of Holy Week.

Jesus realized that the Pharisees were plotting his death and withdrew from that place. This is a phrase used by Matthew to describe Jesus’ removal from danger. Jesus is not doing this because he fears the Pharisees. We will see him challenge them later. Instead, it is not the time for his passion, and thus he waits for the appointed time.

The crowds follow him so that he can continue his healing ministry. However, he warns them not to reveal his identity: to avoid spreading the word. This is not the first time he has sought secrecy, but it becomes more critical now that there is a plot to kill him. His public ministry is not done, so Jesus seeks to avoid unnecessary confrontation.

Matthew takes this a step further to show how Jesus’s withdrawal is not a setback, but instead it is done to fulfill one of the messianic prophecies. The passage he quotes from Isaiah is the most extended Old Testament quotation in Matthew’s Gospel. This is a passage from Isaiah’s Servant Song.

The prophecy’s opening line, “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight,” was alluded to at Jesus’ baptism and repeated at the transfiguration. In its original context, it foretells the Lord’s servant as a light to the nations, extending God’s covenant to the Gentiles. Matthew quotes the first four verses, highlighting how the servant will accomplish this through meekness and humility, a theme fitting with Jesus’ ministry. Reading about the servant’s non-contending and unheard voice sheds light on Jesus’ withdrawal from the Pharisees, suggesting he seeks to avoid conflict. The concluding line, “in his name the Gentiles will hope,” hints at outsiders accepting Christ’s kingdom despite many in Israel, like the Pharisees, rejecting it.

Daily Application

The Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus, and he knew this. He also knew, someday in the future, they would get their wish. Yet now was not the time, as his mission of salvation was not yet completed. So he withdrew because he understood that the perfect timing of his Heavenly Father was superior to anything else.

Similarly, it is also with our prayer life. God desires for us to bring our needs to him. Furthermore, he does answer every one of our prayers. However, the answers will come in the way that he knows is best for us, on his timing: the time he knows is best for us. What is best for us is our salvation: our spending eternity in heaven with God. Therefore, the answer does not always bring earthly comfort, but if we humble ourselves to God’s holy will, the answers will help sanctify us.

When it comes to our salvation, timing is everything. As you journey through life, share your needs and concerns with the Lord. Ask for his assistance in dealing with your burdens. Then humble yourself to accept his will for your life. If it is his will that you carry that burden longer, know that he is doing that as he knows it is essential for your sanctification, and he will carry it with you. Praise him! If he lifts that burden, praise him! In all that happens, praise him, knowing our will is flawed and his is perfect.