Just One Change
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)
After learning the John the baptizer was imprisoned, Jesus began his ministry by taking up John's call to repent. The call to repent was a call not only to turn away from evil, but also to intentionally turn toward good. Jesus' quote of the prophet Isaiah originally referred to the Assyrian oppression of the people of Israel however, Jesus was referencing the Roman oppression of the Jewish community. Yet, the call to repent was made to the oppressed people rather than to the obvious oppressors.
Jesus was calling all of those who would follow him - especially those who would be his disciples - to do a difficult and dangerous thing: to give up the relative comfort and safety of going along to get along, to repent of the ways they purposely and inadvertently supported the oppression of those marginalized. As fishermen, Simon, Andrew, James and John were likely contracted by the Roman government to supply a certain quantity of fish. Agreeing to stop fishing and follow Jesus meant ceasing to support the oppressor of their people. It also meant letting go of the security that "good government job" offered them and their families.
Perhaps we are not called to leave our jobs (perhaps we are), but we are called to find ways to stand against oppression. In the U.S. we have just commemorated the birthday of civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. He gave his life to and for the cause of fighting oppression and injustice. Dr. King famously stated, in his Letter From Birmingham Jail, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". We have only to watch the evening news to see that there is no shortage of oppression or injustice. As followers and disciples of Jesus we must ask ourselves what we are willing to turn away from in order to take up Jesus' mission to fight oppression and injustice. May God's kingdom come, and will be done on earth as in heaven.
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. (Matthew 4:18-23)
Comments