In the first phase of today’s gospel, Jesus reiterates this truth, “Do not think that I have come to annul the law and the prophets. I have not come to annul them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

If he feels the need to clarify his position, it means that someone had the impression that he, through his behaviour and his own words, is demolishing the same beliefs, expectations and hopes of Israel, based on sacred texts.

In today’s gospel, Jesus uses the images of salt and light to define the disciples and their mission. 

The rabbis of Israel used to say: “The Torah—the holy Law given by God to his people—is like salt and the world cannot live without salt.” Jesus applies this image to the disciples.

The gospel reading for today relates the Beatitudes. Any attempt to make a reflection on the whole of the beatitudes in this small space would be futile, so instead, we will concentrate on the first one. Blessed are the poor. It is hard to say in how many ways the beatitude has been interpreted.

After the conclusion of John the Baptist’s mission, Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum. It became the centre of his activities for nearly three years.

Matthew does not merely record Jesus’ change of residence. Galilee was inhabited by Israelites regarded by all as semi-pagans, because they were born from the intermingling of different peoples.

In today’s gospel the shepherds again appear beside the manger of Jesus. On receiving the news from heaven, they go to Bethlehem and find Joseph, Mary and the baby in a manger. They do not find anything extraordinary. They see only a baby with his father and his mother. 

How the birth of Jesus happened begins today’s gospel’s passage.

Matthew emphasises the intervention of the Spirit from the beginning of his story to avoid a misunderstanding that Jesus may have been generated through the intervention of a man.

Educated by the prophets, Israel had been waiting for the saviour for centuries. But when he came, even the more spiritually prepared and well-disposed struggled to recognise and to welcome him. The Baptist also remained indecisive.

In the first part of today’s gospel we see that John is imprisoned. Not getting news about exciting interventions from Jesus, the Baptist’s faith begins to waver. 

Every year on the second Sunday of Advent, the liturgy offers us the preaching of John the Baptist, who prepared the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah.

Today, as then, the most difficult step to accomplish is understanding that it is a must to get out of the land where we are settled and move away from false theological security that we construct so we can welcome the newness of God’s word.

The language used in the gospel passage today can lead to extravagant interpretations (or even rants) on the end of the world and the punishment of God. It can also be reduced to the invitation to be always ready, because death can take us unprepared.

These interpretations stem from a lack of understanding of the apocalyptic literary genre that was widely used at the time of Jesus, but that is alien to our mentality and culture.

The Israelites were expecting a great, rich, strong and eternal king, who would decimate the enemies of Israel. Our gospel reading for today presents a response to these expectations.