Matthew 4:12-23 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 4:12-23 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. Verse 13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, Verse 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: Verse 15"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles- Verse 16the 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." Verse 17From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
Verse 18As 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. Verse 19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Verse 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Verse 21As 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. Verse 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Verse 23Jesus 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.
Devotion
My son will occasionally wake up screaming at night when he thinks that his beloved stuffed animal has somehow run away and forsaken him. "Bunny is gone!" he will shout in a panic. I often have to run into his room and turn on the light for him so that he can see that "Bunny" is indeed still in the bed lying next to him.
Similarly, as we see a world rife with sin, we cry out in the darkness, "God, your kingdom is gone!" In the midst of our fear, Jesus, the light of the world, shines on us to reveal that God’s kingdom has been here all along and it is closer to us than we think. As Kabir Helminski puts it, "We are knee deep in the river looking for water." We needn't be afraid of the dark. God's kingdom hasn’t gone away just because we think that we have misplaced it. The light visits us to remind us that God is much nearer than we thought. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that" (Martin Luther King, Jr.).
Prayer
God, help me believe in the sun, even when it is not shining. God, help me believe in love, even when I don’t feel it. God, help me believe in you, even when you are silent. Amen (adapted from words found on a wall at Auschwitz).