When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has risen.” From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:12-17 (NABRE)
Jesus doesn’t just visit this land of darkness; He lives in it.
How many times do we think that Jesus has not the slightest concern for our needs and desires? Even more, how often do we believe the lie that Jesus is repulsed by us and wants nothing to do with us? This is how we broken humans often interact with each other, staying away from those we perceive as not worthy of our time and regarding as trifling the concerns that may preoccupy those around us. We both do this and have this done to us, and it is easy to project this experience onto God. Our judgment is clouded, and we stay mired in sin while seeing our God not as Savior but as Scorner.
If this is what God was really like, then Jesus would have stayed among the chief priests and the scribes in the Jerusalem Temple, worshiping day and night and only involving Himself with those who have no need of a cure. But do doctors only visit the healthy? Do EMTs only respond to those who are not in an emergency situation? This sounds ridiculous, of course, but why do we then pretend that God, who we call Savior, does not want to rescue us sinners who are so much in need to salvation?
Jesus went to live in territory shared by Jew and Gentile alike. Galilee was a northern province of Roman Palestine that bordered heavily Gentile territory such as Tyre and Sidon. As it is described in this passage, Jesus went directly to where there was much darkness and made is residence there. In a similar way, Jesus wants us to welcome Him into our hearts, where there can be so much darkness, and make His dwelling there. For all of our shortcomings, we are still meant for God to be in us and work through us.
Thank you for reading. Peace.
Eat the Scroll 