With the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ already behind us, today’s gospel talks about the beginning of the Ministry of our Lord in Galilee. While the Bible doesn’t give us definite answers about the “hidden life” of our Lord Jesus, which is actually the longest time he was here on earth, the years when he was growing up was perhaps so ordinary, no one bothered to write it down. But the more important years in the life of our Lord Jesus here on earth is when he did his mission to spread the Good News to the world that the Kingdom of God is at hand! You can read this scripture passage in Matt.4:12-23.
“When [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled.
15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen.” 17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
18 As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. 23 He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.”
The prophet Isaiah is one of the most revered prophets in Judaism. Yet he proclaims the coming of the Messiah very clearly and the most famous one is found in Isaiah 7:14 “The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel” which means “God with us.” A chapter later on Isaiah 9:5 it reads, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful. From David’s throne, and over his kingdom which he confirms and sustains. By judgment and justice both now and forever.” These are names or titles attributed to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today’s reading is also directly taken from Isaiah 8:23, “First he degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles.” Again this is some kind of prophecy that the Immanuel will glorify the District of the Gentiles because as we would learn later, the Jews rejected Jesus and he was embraced by the Gentiles, people like us Filipinos.
Actually if you read the gospel according to Luke, the beginning of the Galilean Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ starts with the rejection in Nazareth where in Luke 4: 14-21 our Lord Jesus returned to Nazareth where he grew up and according to custom he went to the synagogue and a scroll was handed to him. The reading was from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
That scripture from Isaiah that our Lord Jesus read before his fellow Nazoreans came from Isaiah 61:1-2. As we all know, after reading this passage, Jesus rolled up the scroll and said, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” We know how this story ends in a near disaster because the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus. Remember that old saying “Familiarity breeds contempt?”
Well I guess the Nazoreans thought that they shouldn’t be hearing such words of wisdom from the son of a lowly carpenter. But what got their gall was when Jesus told them “This scripture reading is fulfilled in your hearing.” They never expected to hear this from one amongst them. Hence they literally ran him out of the synagogue and Nazareth.
I can only hope and wish that this gospel reading would also encourage our Catholic brethren to being their own ministry and to preach to their families and friends about our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure doing this would also shock your family and friends just like the way the Nazoreans were shocked with Jesus. But this is our Christian duty to preach the Good News.
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