Reading
Matthew 4:12-17.23-25
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Meditation
At the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, his message of conversion is an echo of that of John the Baptist, but it takes on a further meaning because the "kingdom of heaven" is already beginning to be present (v. 17). The invitation to repent is a constant motive in Jesus' preaching and will be the same assignment he transmitted to the apostles (Lk 24:46-48).
In the itinerary around Galilee, Jesus immediately shows the three key activities of his ministry: "teaching ... preaching ... and caring" (v. 23). The Decapolis was a confederation of ten Hellenized cities south of Galilee. The region where Jesus begins his preaching is in close contact with the pagan peoples and rather distant from both Jerusalem and Nazareth. The light that rises from afar on the people, according to the prophecy of Isaiah (Is 8:23-9,1), mentioned here by Matthew, is a "great light" (v. 16): compared to the light of reason or that of the Law the light of the Gospel is capable of turning night into day, of dispelling the darkness of error and fear.
The dawn rises unexpectedly; it is not men who go to seek the light, but it is the light that comes into the world (Jn 1:9) taking the initiative and shining freely on humanity, because the Father "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good "(Mt 5:45). Sometimes the light of grace, even for us, rises "from afar", it rises from the peripheral areas of our existence when we least expect it, when the night is at its peak, turning our lives upside down.
The Son of God, who dwells in the bosom of the Father, could have preached the deepest celestial mysteries, but he does not indulge in a scholastic theology announced with learned words; the essence of his message is straightforward and pragmatic: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Although it is legitimate for faith to interrogate reason and for man to employ all his forces, however limited, to seek the reasons for faith, we must never lose sight of the essence of the Gospel message, its experiential dimension, the exhortation to undertake a new life in Christ, regenerated by the Spirit.
The miracles of Jesus are intended to show that the end of time is near, they are an invitation to repentance and praise of God, to the conversion of souls, not only to the healing of the sick. They testify that he is the Messiah expected by Israel.
By curing all sorts of diseases and infirmities in the people (v. 23) Jesus shows his sovereignty over soul and body and the establishment of the kingdom, in which God will wipe every tear from the eyes, and there will be no more deat or mourning or crying or pain (Ap 21,4).
Prayer
Arise, Lord, and pour out your grace upon us; so that we can serve you in newness of life, while waiting new heavens and a new earth. Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
