Matthew 4:12-17 (Isaiah 9:1-7)
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Reflection:
Have you ever wondered about all of the prophecies that Matthew cites? They seem strange and oddly specific to Matthew’s use, and often as people go back and check them, they don’t find what they expect. I used to read this passage and think the significance was that Jesus was fulfilling a prophecy about where the promised Messiah—or anointed one—would live and do ministry. However, Matthew is after something much bigger.

If you go back and read Isaiah 9, the passage from which the prophecy is pulled, we find a story much more profound than a pithy line about hope to an arbitrary piece of geography. What we find is an announcement to a people on the cusp of destruction. Here’s my paraphrase: Yes, destruction is coming, but even in the midst of the darkest reality, a light is coming. The promised king in the line of David is coming, and he will multiply the people and their bounty, he will remove oppression, he will bring justice, he will bring peace, he will rule forever, he will be a wise counselor, and he will be God. The rule of God, which we’ve longed for since the fall of humanity on page two of the Bible, will finally come.

Matthew is making a monumental claim – everything in the Old Testament points to this moment. It’s precisely here that Jesus makes his bold proclamation: the Kingdom of God is at hand; it’s here now! So repent! In light of what we just read in Isaiah, this is what I hear. The king has come to set the world right. A new reality is here! Therefore, change your actions to line up with what the king is about. The kingdom comes with justice and peace, so become people of justice and peace. The kingdom removes oppression, so become people who liberate others. The kingdom has come to remove sin, so repent of sin and let the Spirit transform you (and not just the outward stuff, your gritty thought-life and heart stuff too). The kingdom has come to forgive, so become people who forgive. The kingdom has come to you in love, so love your enemy. The kingdom has come to usurp death, so become people who leave a wake of healing.

The reality is that not a single person is in line with the values of God’s kingdom, and every person is in desperate need of the healing it brings. Repentance from sin (re-aiming our lives and turning from our own rebellion) and being healed (being transformed and made whole) are two sides of the same coin for all of us. One side is our calling to wake up and change. The other side is the promise to be transformed. Both are submission to the true king. So, recognize what Jesus has done, and repent.

Closing Prayer:

Father, send me your Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, and show me where my heart has not been in line with your rule. Show me where I need to repent, and give me a willing heart to do so when it hurts. Teach me to love justice and mercy. Teach me humility. Teach me to love my enemy. Forgive me even as you teach me to forgive. Heal me. Transform me. Set me free. Amen.