12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles —
16 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.”
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” Matthew 4:12-17.
Jesus now returns to the land of His upbringing in Galilee after receiving the news that John the Baptist has been taken into custody by hostile authorities (4:12). Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth in lower Galilee only long enough to say His good-byes. He has decided to resettle in Capernaum, a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Capernaum thrived on fishing industry and was close to a Roman road called the Via Maris, which served as a commercial route connecting Galilee with Syria to the north. Jesus chooses this busy town as the base of operations for his Galilean ministry.
Matthew sees Jesus’ move to Capernaum as a fulfillment a prophecy from Isaiah (Isa 8:23–9:1) is also tied to the geography of Palestine (2:6, 18, 23). In the eighth century BC, these territories were overrun by the Assyrians who made the residents of Galilee the first Israelites in biblical history to be hauled off into exile (2 Kings 15:29). This is a painful memory from Israel’s past that stands behind the darkness and death spoken of by Isaiah. So it is significant that Jesus launches his mission among the Galileans, suggesting that the first Israelites to experience the darkness of conquest and exile will now be the first to see the light of God’s goodness in the Messiah.
But something else is significant here as well. Besides its connection with the people of Israel, the prophecy links Galilee with the Gentiles (1 Macc. 5:15). The fact is that Galilee, more so than Judea down south, was penetrated by non-Jewish peoples and culture. In Jesus’ day, Greek appears as much as Aramaic as the public language in two of Galilee’s most prominent cities, Tiberias and Sepphoris. But Matthew wants to picture Jesus and His disciples focusing on a mission to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (10:6; 15:24) and not just to the Gentiles. But here Galilee foreshadows the Church’s later mission to all nations (28:19).
Here Matthew introduces us to the public activity of Jesus in Galilee. The subject of the Jesus’ preaching is summarized in one sentence: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This is the same message we heard from John the Baptist (3:2), and it is the same message that Jesus will send out with his twelve apostles (10:7). It urges all of us to change the direction of our lives, and to adopt a new way of thinking and acting. Repentance is the effort each of us makes to turn away from all that is sinful and selfish and to accept the responsibility of living by the standards of God. The nearness of the kingdom of God gives urgency to this call. The kingly reign of God in Jesus the Messiah is on the verge of arrival, and so Israel must be ready to embrace it when it comes.
So take time today to repent. Pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to turn away from all that is sinful and selfish and to accept the responsibility of living by the standards of God.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy win me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” Acts 3:19.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.
“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” Matthew 3:8.
댓글