Saturday January 6
Matthew 4:12-17 Jesus Begins His
Ministry
Now when Jesus heard that John had
been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in
Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what
had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on
the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who
sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region
and shadow of death light has dawned.’
From that time Jesus began to
proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
****
Jesus begins to preach after he was tempted for 40 days and nights
and after John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod. This was the beginning of turning the world
upside down and turning humanity around; a change beyond anything anyone had
experienced, and a change that was bigger in all history. Jesus called people to repent (to turn
around) because the kingdom of Heaven is near.
Huh? Many had never heard this
talk before. Jesus quoting the Prophet
Isaiah about people living in darkness seeing a great light. Most had not heard these words before. This was the new Covenant’s beginning, the
pendulum starting to swing.
We have known the rustle of change in our lives, the pain of it
(nobody likes change) and fearfulness for not knowing what’s to come. Maybe you’ve closed your eyes to it. Yet,
there is Jesus, beckoning, calling, longing, desiring; standing on the
precipice of change saying, “Follow me. I have picked
you.”
Pray on this.
Lynn Byrnes
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