Matthew 4:12-22 Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry”
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”
Yesterday and today we’ve departed from the Gospel of John temporarily to tell the story of Jesus’ temptations and Jesus’ calling his first disciples. The region Jesus is entering is referred to as “Galilee of the Gentiles” because for centuries, the population has been mixed. Originally, King Solomon gave ten cities in this area to King Hiram of Tyre for providing him with cedars of Lebanon to help build the temple in Jerusalem. When Hiram visited the area, he was not impressed and complained; however, there is no record of Solomon changing and giving Hiram more towns or better ones! Galilee has an unsavory reputation, and the Galileans are looked down upon by Jews from other areas who feel these country bumpkins aren’t truly observant. But God knows the spirits of those in this area, and Jesus is going to draw most of his disciples from here.
When I began surgery residency decades ago, one Fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery taught me the phrase, “Anyone can do the easy ones.” Through the years, that phrase has stayed with me, and whenever I have been faced with daunting tasks, I have remembered my friend’s observation. Jesus begins his ministry in the least likely place among the least likely people, and yet, forever afterwards, those people and places will be revered because of Jesus. Peter and Andrew, James, and John-these men will be key throughout Jesus’ ministry and will become founders of the Christian Church. John and Peter will write some of the most meaningful books of the New Testament, and their words will resound throughout generations.
As we go into this new year, remember that God may send you to unlikely places where you will work with unlikely people. But when God is in the situation, you can fearlessly proceed.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You as You lead us. Help us to be willing to work with those You send to us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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