Reflection for July 8 Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 9:32-38

Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”  

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. 

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

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Reflection: 

Are you quick to hurl accusations without careful thought? 

In today’s Gospel, after Jesus drove out the demon from the man, the Pharisees accused Him of being the prince of demons. A wild accusation with no basis at all, rooted only in their hatred toward Jesus. Why? Because Jesus was becoming popular among the people, and they saw Him as a threat to their authority. 

Perhaps, if we look into our hearts, we will see that we can be like the Pharisees at times. We may throw baseless accusations against others simply because we carry hurts and resentments within us. We may accuse others of wrongdoing simply because we want to get back at someone who has wronged us in the past. 

This tendency to hurl baseless accusations is not limited to church organizations; it also happens among friends, within families, and especially in politics, particularly during elections. But we must ask ourselves: Why throw baseless accusations? Why not choose peace, friendship, and understanding instead? If we truly follow Jesus, we will not seek to destroy the reputation of others but will strive to love and forgive, as Jesus has taught us. 

In the latter part of the Gospel, seeing the great crowd before Him, Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” Indeed, the workers in the Lord’s vineyard remain few even today. Many people still do not know Jesus deeply and personally. We are invited, therefore, to share and live out His teachings so that those who do not know Him may come to know Him through our words, actions, and the way we live our daily lives. 

Would you allow yourself to be God’s instrument today? Would you help advance the teachings of Jesus, beginning by choosing peace over accusation, and love over hatred? 

May we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us so that, instead of tearing others down, we may lift them up and lead them closer to Jesus, our Savior and Lord. – Marino J. Dasmarinas