Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Описание: Herod Antipas arrests John the Baptist and imprisons him in the fortress of Machaerus near the Dead Sea. John had challenged the ruler of Galilee for divorcing his lawful wife and living with his brother’s wife. Challenging a king is a dangerous act, and John did so knowingly. The result was first imprisonment and then death. According to the Lord, the time has come for His mission to begin. The first step is leaving Nazareth and going to Capernaum. This is a symbolic departure. Having left His home, He never returns to live there again. It is like closing one door in order to open another—ending one period and entering a new one. Between these two periods lies a decisive moment that demands a clear choice.

Choosing one good option often means losing many others.
Jesus comes to Galilee, fully aware of what He must do there. Galilee is a region in the north of Palestine. It is bordered by the Litani River to the north, the Jezreel Valley to the south, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, the Syrian border to the northeast, and the Sea of Galilee to the east. Galilee is not a very large region—about fifty miles from north to south and about twenty-five miles from east to west. It was a fertile land with a high population density. According to the historian Josephus Flavius, during this period there were more than two hundred towns and villages, each with a population exceeding fifteen thousand.Galilee differed from other regions of Palestine. It was influenced by many foreign cultures and was open to new ideas. Because it bordered many Gentile regions, it was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles.” Its international importance lay in the trade route that passed nearby, connecting Damascus to Egypt and Africa. When the Promised Land was divided among the tribes, this region belonged to Asher, Naphtali, and Zebulun. However, these tribes never fully defeated the Canaanites, and thus from ancient times they lived as a mixed population. During the Assyrian invasion, the entire population was deported, and people from other nations were settled there. From the eighth century BC until the second century AD, Gentiles predominated in the region.
After the exile, Ezra and Nehemiah brought the Jewish people from Galilee to Jerusalem. In 164 BC, Simon Maccabeus expelled the Gentiles from Galilee and relocated the native Galileans to the southern regions. In 104 BC, Aristobulus conquered Galilee and forcibly circumcised its inhabitants.
Capernaum, where Jesus begins His ministry, is especially significant. It is located at the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee. As Matthew emphasizes, all of Jesus’ actions fulfill the Old Testament. Here Matthew refers to Isaiah 9:1–2. Although this prophecy originally related to a different historical context during the reign of King Pekah, it perfectly applies to Jesus. He begins His ministry as an itinerant preacher. The Greek term used for “to preach” is kērussein, meaning a royal herald who proclaims the king’s message. Although Jesus is the Son of God, He employs a clear method in His preaching. His tone is firm because He knows exactly what He says and does. He preaches with authority, proclaiming the commands and decrees of the great King. The source of His preaching is not external to Himself; it is rooted in His own being and mission.
To inherit the Kingdom, one must repent. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word shub is used, while the Greek term is metanoia. This means a radical inner change—turning away from false attitudes and returning to the Lord.
In His new mission, Jesus comes to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Though called a sea, it is actually a large lake, described by the Greek word limnē. It is about thirteen miles long and eight miles wide and lies about six hundred eighty feet below sea level. Fishing was a major occupation there. One method involved casting a net, called amphiblēstron in Greek. This is the type of net the fishermen are using when Jesus encounters them.
points not to himself, but to the living Lord.
Jesus chooses the synagogue as the place of His teaching. The synagogue held immense importance in Jewish life. It was a place of prayer, proclamation of the Word of God, and education. It was also a place that offered opportunities to new teachers. Therefore, in the early phase of His ministry, Jesus was given the opportunity to teach in the synagogues.

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