Tuesday 17th July, 2012
Isaiah 7:1–9. God upholds his city for ever—Ps 47(48):2–8. Matthew 11:20–24.

  
Meditation: mp3 | podcast
Readings: Text | mp3 | podcast

Someone said to me recently: ‘Once I look into a person’s eyes I can’t hate that person.’

To sit down with somebody we have feuded with and to look into that person’s eyes helps to soften the heart and to understand who that person is and why we find certain actions annoying.

In today’s gospel. Jesus reproaches some lakeside towns because the people in those towns saw his miracles and refused to repent. Perhaps we can interpret their failure to repent in this way: the people looked into the eyes of the Messiah himself and their hearts remained hardened. Or maybe they simply turned away from Jesus’ gaze. It is because of their turning away from him that he reproaches them.

Jesus, please help us to see you in the eyes of others.