David Bahn – Reflections

Matthew 4:12-17

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. ¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”

¹⁷From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

The presence of God in our lives is often tied to religious moments. A child is born, a hymn speaks to us, a funeral service brings friends and comfort. We recognize God’s presence in these moments and rejoice in His goodness. Likewise we may seek God especially when we are facing difficult times. Whether it is the loss of a job or a critical illness, a difficult decision or a relationship breakdown: we turn to God for comfort and guidance.

When Jesus heard that John had been put into prison, His message became clear. His response and Matthew’s account serve as a reminder to us, but also a lesson for us. The reminder: God is present with us at all times. Now refreshed, having battled the devil, having heard the Father’s voice of approbation at His baptism, Jesus’ response to the bad news of John’s imprisonment is to begin proclaiming the message of the Kingdom of God: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

God’s presence does not depend on our outward circumstances. Too often our perception of His presence, however, does. We too easily and often tie God’s presence to an immediate rescue or spiritual insight rather than recognizing Him in the daily events of ordinary life. For this we need to repent!

But there is a lesson for us here as well. Jesus’ response to the bad news was not only to recognize God’s presence and the reality of God’s kingdom, but to preach about it! Not many of us are preachers – thanks be to God! But all of us do have a message of God’s presence and kingdom to share. In fact those not called to be preachers or professional church workers may well have the most far-reaching impact in many peoples’ lives.  After all people expect me to preach; that’s what I do.

But when a regular person(!) responds to the world’s events and circumstances with an affirmation of God’s presence and goodness there is a potential for a greater impact. Regular people can get under the radar of the skeptic or antagonistic more easily than the preacher. The message is a simple one: God is present. His light shines on all people. Darkness has been lifted. God calls us to repent and believe the good news of His presence and blessing.

You might have the opportunity to respond to the news of the day: earthquake, tsunami, nuclear dangers, political upheaval with a simple message of your own. It might be as simple as reminding others of your confidence in God’s control over all things (no head in the sand here: this is a statement of faith), or as pointed as a challenge: “Do you really believe that God doesn’t care about all those people?’

In any event, we must learn to believe deep in our hearts that God is present in all things, that He is good, and that He calls us to repent and believe the Good News of Christ’s light and love.