18th Sunday in O.T.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (year A)

(Mt 14:13–21)

Matthew 14:13 On hearing this, Jesus left that place by boat and withdrew to a deserted spot on his own. But the crowds, having learnt of this, followed him on foot from the towns.

Matthew 14:14 When he stepped out of the boat, he saw a large crowd; he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

“Having heard this...”. Jesus had heard of the execution of John the Baptist; it was a delicate moment. By remaining in Galilee, Jesus might have feared persecution from Herod Antipas, and since his hour had not yet come, he “withdrew” to a “deserted place”.

The verb anachoreō literally means: to go back, to retreat, to withdraw, to move away, to keep one’s distance from, and is generally associated with situations of danger. It is like the good retreating in the face of evil. The good seems to recede in the face of advancing evil. In a certain sense this is true: evil seems to prevail over good. Out of prudence, Jesus withdraws to a solitary place, off to one side. The verb *anachoreō* is the root of our word ‘anachoresis’, which refers to the withdrawal characteristic of the monastic and hermitic traditions, present in the Church almost from the very beginning. Where does this experience stem from? From the confrontation with evil, from the realisation that in the face of this evil one can withdraw, and that this evil can be entrusted to God’s care through prayer.

The other key figure is the crowd, which follows Jesus on foot. What characterises the crowd is that they follow Jesus from a distance, along the shore, whilst he travels by boat. Only the disciples, though not named, are in the boat with Jesus. By remaining silent on the disciples in the boat with Jesus, Matthew achieves two things: on the one hand, he places the figure of Jesus at the centre; on the other, he suggests how the disciples identify with Jesus himself. A fundamental distinction is thus drawn between those who are in the boat with Jesus and those who, instead, follow him on foot. The crowds’ thirst for Jesus is great. It is sad to realise that the crowds are so thirsty for God and that often the wells to which they rush are dry.

The act of following and serving is preceded by the phrase apò tōn póleōn, ‘from the towns’. Following, therefore, presupposes stepping out of one’s familiar routines of life, leaving behind one’s familiar places and relationships, setting oneself apart and thus creating a wilderness around oneself.

“When he stepped out of the boat, he saw a large crowd; he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Jesus steps out of the boat and sees “a large crowd”. The Greek verb used here to express Jesus’ act of seeing is “horaō”; a verb which, in biblical language, denotes a particular kind of seeing, a profound seeing that goes beyond mere physical perception. Greek uses three verbs to denote ‘seeing’ or ‘looking’: ‘Blepō’, which denotes physical looking, a mere sensory perception; ‘Theoreō’, which means to observe, examine or scrutinise, and refers to a way of looking that questions and seeks to understand. ‘Horaō’ denotes a spiritual kind of seeing, a form of knowing or perceiving, and expresses an awareness of that which transcends the physical realm. In this sense, we might say that ‘horaō’ is the exact opposite of ‘blepō’. Jesus’s way of seeing, therefore, is not merely a matter of looking, but rather of embracing that crowd with his gaze—a crowd that belongs to him because it follows him.

Jesus feels “compassion for them”. The Greek verb used here is esplagchísthē and denotes a profound emotion that touches the person to the very depths of their being. The verb, in fact, is derived from the noun splágchnon, meaning “bowels”. What Jesus feels, therefore, is something that springs from the depths of his very being. Jesus, therefore, sees and is deeply moved. These two verbs, ‘to see’ and ‘to be moved’, are interdependent; one follows from the other, and together they create a profound communion between Jesus and the object of his sight and feeling. The use of this verb expresses the full depth of God’s visceral love for humanity.

When we speak of God’s mercy, of Jesus’ mercy, of his compassion, of this visceral stirring from the very depths of his being, all this is well represented by the images of Byzantine crucifixes, which depict Jesus with a very prominent belly. Why? Because the intention is to emphasise figuratively that he has ‘bowels of mercy’, that is, the capacity to feel the needs of humankind.

Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books

- Revelation – an exegetical commentary

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, in the mystery of the Trinity

Jesus’ prophetic discourse (Matthew 24–25)

All Generations Will Call Me Blessed

Catholics and Protestants Compared – In Defence of the Faith

The Church and Israel According to St Paul – Romans 9–11

(Available on Amazon)

130 Last modified on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 20:29

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Argentino Quintavalle

Argentino Quintavalle è studioso biblico ed esperto in Protestantesimo e Giudaismo. Autore del libro “Apocalisse - commento esegetico” (disponibile su Amazon) e specializzato in catechesi per protestanti che desiderano tornare nella Chiesa Cattolica.

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We too, to reach a more conscious confession of Jesus Christ must follow, like Peter, a path made of attentive, caring listening (Pope John Paul II)

Anche noi per giungere a una più consapevole confessione di Gesù Cristo dobbiamo percorrere, come Pietro, un cammino fatto di ascolto attento, premuroso (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)

It is a word that must be witnessed to and proclaimed explicitly, because without a consistent witness it proves to be less comprehensible and credible [Pope Benedict]

E’ una Parola che deve essere testimoniata e proclamata esplicitamente, perché senza una testimonianza coerente essa risulta meno comprensibile e credibile [Papa Benedetto]

The “reading and meditation of the word of God root us more deeply in Christ and guide our ministry as servants of reconciliation, justice and peace” (second Synod for Africa, Propositio 46)

La lettura e la meditazione della Parola di Dio ci radicano più profondamente in Cristo e orientano il nostro ministero di servitori della riconciliazione, della giustizia e della pace (Secondo Sinodo per l’Africa, Propositio 46)

The Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew or Aramaic is no longer extant, but in the Greek Gospel that we possess we still continue to hear, in a certain way, the persuasive voice of the publican Matthew, who, having become an Apostle, continues to proclaim God's saving mercy to us. And let us listen to St Matthew's message, meditating upon it ever anew also to learn to stand up and follow Jesus with determination (Pope Benedict)

Non abbiamo più il Vangelo scritto da Matteo in ebraico o in aramaico, ma nel Vangelo greco che abbiamo continuiamo a udire ancora, in qualche modo, la voce persuasiva del pubblicano Matteo che, diventato Apostolo, séguita ad annunciarci la salvatrice misericordia di Dio e ascoltiamo questo messaggio di san Matteo, meditiamolo sempre di nuovo per imparare anche noi ad alzarci e a seguire Gesù con decisione (Papa Benedetto)

That denarius clearly represents eternal life, a gift that God reserves for all. Indeed those who are considered the "last", if they accept, become the "first", whereas the "first" can risk becoming the "last" [Pope Benedict]

Quel denaro rappresenta la vita eterna, dono che Dio riserva a tutti. Anzi, proprio quelli che sono considerati "ultimi", se lo accettano, diventano "primi", mentre i "primi" possono rischiare di finire "ultimi" [Papa Benedetto]

The sower is Jesus. With this image, we can see that he presents himself as one who does not impose himself, but rather offers himself. He does not attract us by conquering us, but by donating himself: he casts seeds. With patience and generosity, he spreads his Word, which is not a cage or a trap, but a seed which can bear fruit (Pope Francis)

Il seminatore è Gesù. Notiamo che, con questa immagine, Egli si presenta come uno che non si impone, ma si propone; non ci attira conquistandoci, ma donandosi: butta il seme. Egli sparge con pazienza e generosità la sua Parola, che non è una gabbia o una trappola, ma un seme che può portare frutto (Papa Francesco)

The Church desires to give thanks to the Most Holy Trinity for the "mystery of woman" and for every woman - for that which constitutes the eternal measure of her feminine dignity, for the "great works of God", which throughout human history have been accomplished in and through her (Mulieris Dignitatem n.31)

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