In today’s gospel, Matthew 4: 12 – 23, St Matthew describes the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. In these few verses, Matthew links Jesus’ ministry to Old Testament prophecy by stating that Jesus is the fulfilment of Isiah’s vision of a new king who drives away darkness and despair brining light, joy and rejoicing. Matthew reminds us that Jesus came to preach. And finally, the message Jesus proclaimed was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Throughout his ministry, Jesus, called on the people of Israel to repent. St. Matthew used the Greek word, metanoia, defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion.” Jesus challenged his listeners and he challenges us to change our way of thinking, to change our behavior, to change our hearts and to change our lives so that we can be good citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
After he started preaching, Jesus began identifying his partners in ministry. In today’s gospel, he called Andrew and Simon and James and John. They all dropped whatever they were doing and followed him. St Matthew tells us in Chapter 5 of his gospel that we “are the light of the world” (14). Just as Jesus called Peter and Andrew and James and John, he calls us. The Good News is that we, the spiritual heirs of Saints Peter, Andrew, James, and John, can share this light with hundreds of people every day in so many ways. The even better news is that there is much, much more we can do to transform the world about us. It was, after all, Jesus who promised we will do greater works than he did; “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). We are all called to be apostles of light.
God our Father,
your Son invites us, gently but insistently,
to follow him as faithful disciples.
Open our minds to his light,
make us respond to his love
and entrust our whole being to him.
May his kingdom grow in each of us
and in the whole world, that he may lead us in hope
to the joy you have prepared for us in your home.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
