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Gospel Reading for July 07, 2026 -Matthew 9: 32-38
CONDONING EVIL
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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When we remain silent even though we ought to speak against falsehood, injustice, violence, corruption, or any form of evil; when a member of our own family acts contrary to the teachings of Jesus and we choose to say nothing out of fear or convenience, we risk becoming like the mute man in today’s Gospel. We allow the spirit of silence before evil to take hold of us.
To remain silent in the face of the works of the evil one can easily become a form of CONDONING EVIL. We sometimes convince ourselves that it is better to remain neutral so that we can avoid conflict and preserve peace with others. Yet Jesus himself said:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword… For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother… and a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34–36)
Jesus was not encouraging division or conflict. Rather, he was teaching that fidelity to the truth sometimes requires us to make difficult choices. When we choose to follow him, there will be times when even those closest to us may oppose us. The “sword” he speaks of is the division that can arise when some accept the truth while others reject it.
True peace is not merely the absence of conflict. True peace is found in living according to the will of God. Everything that Jesus taught and the way he lived lead to eternal life. It is only in God’s Kingdom that everlasting peace will reign—a place where sin, hatred, violence, and war will exist no more, and where only perfect joy and communion with God will remain.
As Christians, we are called to be laborers in the Lord’s harvest wherever he has planted us. What a great privilege it is to serve under such a loving Landowner, who entrusts us with the mission of bringing truth, hope, and love to the world.
Lord Jesus, teach us your ways and give us the courage to speak the truth with love, so that our lives may lead others to the everlasting peace that you alone can give!
