"Repent; the Kingdom of God is near."

01-26-2020Weekly ReflectionFather Prince Raja

The gospel text of today from Matthew narrates to us the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus in Capernaum. It was one of the principal towns around the lake of Galilee. It was on the trade route between the southern nations (that included even Egypt) and the northern lands of Syria and even Turkey. The Romans had established a customs office at Capernaum and a garrison managed by a centurion. Traders had to give a large rate of tax for unprocessed goods like grain and olives. Therefore, it is possible that besides the fishing industry Capernaum had a lot of processing units where grains were milled into flours and olives pressed to extract oil. The number of millstones and olive presses, lying all over Capernaum today, stand as witness to this once flourishing town. It is interesting to note that it is this bubbling town that Jesus chooses as the headquarters for his three-year public ministry.

The Gospel passage tells us that Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the divine rule in the hearts of people. For his mission and task of proclamation Jesus invites an intimate band of people to be his disciples who would share his vision and mission and also become his witnesses in the world. In the first reading prophet Isaiah says that in Galilee of the nations, the people will see a great light. The light of faith will guide them to a bright future. The people who heard the prophecy in those days perceived it to mean that the ideal Davidic king would come to Galilee, opening a new era of peace and justice.

Today's Gospel, from the fourth chapter of Matthew, offers us Christians an equally surprising and shocking announcement by Jesus: "Repent; the Kingdom of God is near." Today's Scripture readings tell us that Christ has brought us into the Light (4:16), by calling us to be partners in building the Kingdom of Heaven. The first reading contains the prophetic reference to Christ as the Light that dispels darkness. The Kingdom of Heaven is the theme of Jesus' preaching. We probably shouldn't interpret the "Kingdom of Heaven" as a place — such as the place we go when we die – but rather as God's ruling power that emanates from Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is the place where God rules. In the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, we pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The kingdom of God is when the will of God is established on earth, when the world becomes the way God wants it to be. When God's will is established, then the kingdom is established, evil will be destroyed.

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