Master·evangeli.net
Today's Gospel + short theological explanation
The Incarnation of the Son of God for our salvation
EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)Today, this panorama of healings (a sign of salvation!) challenges the dispute about Jesus messianism: did He actually redeem Israel? His mission, the way He lived it, doesn’t surely fulfill men’s expectations of an immediate messianic salvation, as they felt oppressed not so much because of their sins, but because of the poverty of their existence.
St. Joseph was commanded to give a name to the child; the same name also announced to Maria by the angel: “Jesus”, which means “God is salvation”. The angel who talked to Joseph in a dream enlightens the meaning of this salvation: “He will save His people from their sins.”
- When man disrupts his first and essential relationship – the one with God – then there is nothing left that can be truly well-ordered. Jesus wants to show to man the nucleus of his wickedness and make him understand: if you are not healed of “this”, despite all the good things you can find, you’ll never be really healed.