Matthew 4:12-23
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, 14so 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.”
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Valuable New Beginnings
Do you hear him calling you?
In last Sunday's Gospel, John the Baptist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, revealed to us Jesus' identity as the Lamb of God and His redemptive mission. John concluded his preparatory mission for the coming of the Messiah by defending the dignity of marriage and the rulers' commitment to a morality that upholds justice and social rights, and eradicates falsehood. John was then unjustly and maliciously arrested and thrown into prison by Herod Antipas east of the Dead Sea in what is now Jordan.
Just as the humble people in the countryside of Bethlehem were the first to whom the angel announced the birth of the Savior, so Jesus will begin His ministry of salvation for the whole world in Galilee, where the people are a mix from many nations.
Matthew reminds us of the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament (VV. 14-16) which quote Isaiah 9:1-2. Through today's Gospel, he shows Jesus' plan of ministry, which could be summed up as:
The main goal is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and beyond;
Preparing the disciples to be qualified and competent in spreading the message. Their formation precedes their mission;
Teaching, preaching and healing with authority, demonstrating His divine and human identity;
Jesus shows us that discipleship includes sacrifices. The apostles accept to leave everything immediately. Their response to His call is immediate, direct and confident. It also includes great sacrifices, such as leaving their families, their jobs and all their possessions. Later we see Peter asking Jesus about their reward in Matthew 19:27, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
Jesus is forming a team to live together, pray together, think together and work together---but according to His heart and mind (a better way).
Each of them has his own personality and character, but Jesus' love, the deposits of faith (2 Timothy 1:14) and their faithfulness are what unites them; and
There is no purely theoretical education devoid of experience and the testing of human life and its challenges. The disciples will see their Teacher interacting with every person and with all they need.
May we reflect on our personal understanding of what it means to follow Jesus today. How serious are we about sacrificing for this discipleship?
Do we respond to His call immediately and totally as the disciples do? Can I hear my name instead of Simon, Andrew, James or John as Jesus calls us to walk with Him today?
Following Jesus requires a daily encounter with Him through reading Scriptures and prayer. Are we ready for the new beginning with Jesus that this Gospel invites us to?