GOSPEL COMMENTARY MT 4:12-23

Oh, the places you’ll go ...

Fr. Jerome Magat

1/19/11

This week’s Gospel passage attests to Our Lord’s decision to relocate His base of operations from Nazareth to Capernaum, a small town on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel. Pilgrims to the Holy Land are sure not to miss a visit to this biblically significant town, as it became Our Lord’s home after His rejection in the synagogue in Nazareth (cf. Lk 4:29). Others have asserted that Jesus left Nazareth because Herod knew that Jesus operated out of that town and it was safer for Him to move further east and north away from Herod’s grasp to Capernaum, since John the Baptist had just been arrested.

In any case, a careful examination of the Gospels shows that Capernaum was of immense significance in Jesus’ public ministry. It is in Capernaum where Jesus called five of the apostles — Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew. It is also where the dramatic cure of both Peter’s mother-in-law and the paralytic let down through the roof occurred. The apostles were sailing to Capernaum when Jesus came to them in the middle of night walking on the water. Jesus gave the “bread of life discourse” found in John 6 in the synagogue in Capernaum. It was also the site of an exorcism and the healing of the centurion’s servant. In addition, many of Jesus’ most famous preaching discourses occurred near and around Capernaum. For example, the Mount of Beatitudes is just a short distance from Capernaum and is the site of much of Jesus’ preaching on the moral life as found in Matthew 5. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land almost always impresses first-time visitors as they discover how proximate to each other each of the locations described in the Gospels are found.

Despite His decision to move to Capernaum, Jesus was very critical of the Jews there. Keep in mind that part of Jesus’ decision to leave Nazareth for Capernaum was His disgust with the lack of faith He found in Nazareth. And yet, Our Lord found a lack of faith in Capernaum as well. In dramatic fashion, Jesus would later say, “And you Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you” (Mt 11: 23-23).

Regardless of where Jesus preached, His message was the same: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” The message was not welcomed with open arms by all. In a way, the fact that Jesus decried the lack of faith in both Nazareth and Capernaum reminds us that the human condition is essentially the same everywhere. While Jesus found more faith in Capernaum, as evidenced by the number of miracles He performed there, He was not welcomed there entirely either. Jesus' message of repentance and faith was not an attractive invitation for those wedded to the ways of the world. Even in a town like Capernaum, where Jesus found great faith, there were always those who remained indifferent or hostile to His message. That did not discourage Jesus from doing His Father’s will. His example should encourage us as well.

Fr. Magat is parochial vicar of St. William of York Parish in Stafford.

The Work of God

Year A

- 3rd Sunday in ordinary time

Jesus settled in Capernaum - Repent

Matthew 4:12-23

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.
13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles --
16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea -- for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

3rd Sunday in ordinary time - Jesus settled in Capernaum - Repent

Shortly after my Baptism in the river Jordan, John the Baptist was arrested, to die later because of my cause. I moved then to Capernaum in fulfillment of the Holy Scriptures. My time had come to start the salvific mission that would change the face of the earth.

I was the great light that came to shine in the world, already obscured by the darkness of the ignorance of God and the life of sin. My words were not ordinary words but the Word of God, I was in fact that Word of God living in the flesh.

Therefore I came to make use of my creative words in order to re-create the life of man by my forgiveness, otherwise the curse made in Paradise would stand and dust would go back to dust for eternity. I came to offer the resurrection after death and eternal life, which is to be found in Me only.

The first words of my message are the key to your salvation: "Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is near", in fact it is within yourselves. In other words it depends entirely on your will to decide either for me, the light, or for darkness; for me, the life, or for death. These words have continual power so that anyone who listens to them and puts them into practice will be given grace to live the way of life I that have proposed.

To those who first listened to them, I also said: "follow me", and because they were fishermen I told them to become fishers of men. They had no objection to my divine invitation because they were given the light of understanding and the wisdom to appreciate the weight of my call to become disciples.

I am repeating the same words to every soul. Repent, my Kingdom starts in your heart, in your decision to accept my word and in your humility to accept my offer, "follow me", I will make you disciples and apostles, you will have a safe place in my Kingdom, your reward will be paid with infinite grace and everlasting joy.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary