We heard in the Gospel text today, “The Land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” St. Matthew being led by the Spirit quotes Isaiah as to why Jesus had His ministry headquarters in Capernaum in the region of Galilee. After they entered the Promised Land from the exodus, the far northern part of Israel had been allotted by Joshua to the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. Both Zebulun and Naphtali were sons of Jacob. Throughout the years this area had seen much war and bloodshed. It was the frontlines and the first land to be invaded and dominated by the Syrians and Assyrians and later the Babylonians. Even after the Jews were freed from Babylon and resettled Palestine, the area was never settled as fully by the Jews as the southern part of Palestine. They figured, to be closer to Jerusalem meant to be closer to being a true blue Jew. This area of Galilee became a major crossroad of traffic for non-Jews. It was a major stop over point between the area of modern day Iraq and Iran on the road to Egypt and places south, the area called the fertile crescent because of its arching shape. People traveled through as they headed further west to the major ports of Tyre and Sidon, or to travel north and further west to Asia minor, Greece, and Rome. For this reason, you could say that the area was more multicultural than southern Palestine. There were many people of Jewish blood and religion, but there were many who had mixed ancestry, and many, many Gentiles passed through this area that Jesus chose as His main base for His earthly ministry.
What is the point of this geography lesson? To understand the text, of course. Isaiah and Matthew refer to the people of this area as those dwelling in the region and the shadow of death because of all spiritually deadly unbelief, idolatry, and false beliefs that crossed this road and hung around in the mix trying to overshadow the Truth of God’s salvation. Myriad screeching false prophets and philosophies crying out where Truth was meant to reign. But now, at this time, the time of Jesus, Now those who had been dwelling in darkness for them, we are told, for them a light has dawned.
This is Jesus as He began His earthly ministry in the fullness of time, in the place prophesied. He is the light to the nations, to the Jews and Gentiles. He is the living human embodiment of the star that the magi followed, except His message was more clear than the star. His message which He brought in His Word of preaching, His miracles, and fulfilling the Law. In all this, He was bringing to earth the kingdom reign of heaven.
John the Baptist had now been arrested. He picked up the preaching mantel of the prophet John the Baptist and began preaching, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” These weren’t just words, Jesus showed that He, as the Word of God, was not just announcing the reign of heaven, but was bringing it with Himself. Now in Jesus Christ, God is breaking into history in a new way, manifesting His power, breaking through the reign and rule of Satan, driving him back, undoing all the consequences of his slanders and temptations. Jesus already confronted the devil one on one in the wilderness and rebuked his every trick. Now Jesus in His ministry would show the signs of His power, binding the evil strong one with His Words and His miracles in His earthly ministry. What Jesus accomplished in that time and age hearkens and points to the age which is to come when Jesus will come on the final day of history and destroy Satan and his every power. He will punish the unrighteous and the unfaithful, but He will gather all those throughout time who believed on His name and trusted in Him and the kingdom which He established in His death and resurrection. Jesus came in His earthly ministry to the war torn and weary area of Galilee to a region of those dwelling in darkness, to those set upon by the lies of Satan and the world, to call from among them disciples to Himself, some of whom He would later appoint apostles to be sent out in His name. Yet, He came not just for them, but for all people who have lived in darkness, who have been dwelling in the shadow of death. For all dwell in the shadow of death as a result of the curse upon sin since Adam and Eve. The curse of sin which made all creation broken, which brought death into a creation that had been made for life. Sin brought confusion and enmity between God and man when before there was communion and peace. This first sin of rebellion compounded itself as every generation is born in ignorance and sin, subject to the poisonous aftereffects of sin the result of which is the death of our mortal bodies. This sin is the reason there continues to be political chaos, anger, miscommunication, between all people in families, marriages, and quite obviously in the public square as we have seen with all the violent rhetoric, protests, responses and ongoing chaos in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Because of this sin, our flesh suffers even now. Fighting and kicking, trying to make sure in a selfish way, that we get what we think we want, what we think we need. Like a child closing their eyes in a midst of a tantrum, so too when we sin, do we close our eyes again to the truth of God’s Law embracing the darkness of unbelief, giving way to the shadow of death.
But my dearly beloved, our dwelling in the shadow of death and the curse of darkness and unbelief, of warring against God and against our fellow man and woman is at an end.
It is at an end because Jesus comes as the great light, destroying the dark with His Word even as we heard it and are hearing it now. He calls for repentance yes, to turn away from the deeds of sin and darkness, but not that you can burst free from the bonds of the sin that holds you, but He calls you by name even as He is destroying the power which Satan had over us, so that you can hear His voice and be turned by His Spirit to hear His voice and hope by faith. He uses the net of His Word and sacrament to gather His people from the darkness of the abyss, the sea of confusion, where people otherwise drown in Satan’s lies. These are the tools which He uses to spiritually fish for men and women through His apostles and pastors. The net is His voice calling to us hear in His Word. The net is baptism where He calls us by name and actively takes us to the place where sin has been punished, to the cross of His perfect sacrifice. There our sins have been washed away in His blood. There we are given the hope of resurrection from our mortal death because of Jesus’ own resurrection These are the tools through which God continues to bring His spiritual reign upon earth. This is where Jesus again enters and descends with great power.
He does continue to call people from darkness into the glorious light to believe the forgiveness of sins won for them in Jesus Christ. This forgiveness of sins which is for you. Through the Ministry which He has given to the Church and exercises through the pastoral office He continues to give forgiveness of your sins, to heal that poison which caused every disease and affliction in your heart and mind and in all people. The heavenly Father forgives every sin to those who believe for Jesus’ sake. He has mercy even upon you and me, because we have been reconciled to Him through His Son, brought near to Him by His blood, by His cross. The cross is the power of God for our salvation, it is through His sacrifice that you are reconciled to the Father, it is only in Jesus that we can have peace with each other, learn to have patience and live for more than ourselves.
Jesus has indeed saved us from our sin, He has called us as His own, He hears us as we pray to Him. He has called you to follow Him, to follow His cross, to the place where He is, to be served by Him, so you can hear His Word and receive His very body and blood as a comfort in your bodily needs. To be uplifted for the upcoming week, months, and years. In the midst of any and all fleshly maladies and afflictions He gives us joy and hope, using His sacraments to bring us His crucifixion and resurrection victory now and pointing to the end of this age; the redemption and resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
What do we do now? We give our Lord thanksgiving and praise and follow Him. We seek His Word, and gladly hear and receive it. We follow Him by the power of the Holy Spirit to show that same love which He has showed us in Christ to those who come into the crossroads of our lives, into our paths and vocations. We become as human Capernaums to bear witness to those among us the words of Truth in Jesus Christ which dispels the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil whose voices grow more loud as their judgment draws nigh. Those who live among us in this time, but who yet have the veil of the shadow of death and darkness clinging to them need to hear this hope. To them you too can be lights, you can be fishers in your vocations to the people in unbelief or trapped in false churches. You too may point them to Jesus, to His cross, to His forgiveness as the answer for the poison of sin.
God continues to reign in you and for you. He continues to rule His kingdom of heaven the Church as He dispels the clouds of darkness and death from our paths by His Word. His Word made flesh. For you He has given His Son as a Savior, the One who continues to come to you and strengthen you and give you peace now and forevermore. May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Pr. Aaron Kangas