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Commentary on the Gospel for Thursday, January 23, 2025
In recent days, we’ve seen the tension between Jesus and the religious authorities escalate. In fact, yesterday’s Gospel ended by saying that the Pharisees conspired with the Herodians to destroy Jesus. The conflict grew so intense that Jesus had to withdraw from the towns and villages He had been visiting, retreating to the shore of the sea—the Sea of Galilee, as the Gospel tells us, a large lake in the region.
But while the Pharisees and Herodians clashed with Jesus, the ordinary people weren’t interested in abstract debates about laws and rules. All they saw was that Jesus brought hope to those suffering from illness or unclean spirits. So, they decided that if Jesus wasn’t going to pass through their towns and villages, they would go to Him. So many came, and from so many places, that the disciples feared the crowd might crush Him.
These simple people didn’t care about the orthodoxy of laws. What mattered to them was that, with Jesus, their suffering and pain could come to an end, and they had the chance to start a new life. And that’s no small thing. What more do we need to keep moving forward on life’s journey than someone who gives us hope? Sometimes, it’s not even necessary for our pain or challenges to miraculously disappear. It’s enough to regain hope. We don’t even need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s sufficient to firmly believe that the tunnel has an exit, even if we can’t see it yet. Just that belief can make our steps steadier and help us endure the hardships along the way.
This is a time to look to Jesus, to lift our heads, and to continue walking with faith, just as the people in today’s Gospel did. Change—the Kingdom—is possible. As the theme of this Jubilee Year invites us, we must become “Pilgrims of Hope,” even if, in the middle of the tunnel, we still can’t see the way out.