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Christmas Reflection - Monday after Epiphany
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January 3, 2022When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum… so that what had been said through Isaiah might be fulfilled …the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death a light has risen.
This reading offers a powerful call for us today. The passage begins with a sentence that tells us that “when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew.” “Withdrew” is such simple word that we often slide over it to get to the important part of the passage. Yet, whenever Matthew uses the word for “withdraw”, he uses the Greek word that means to leave a potentially dangerous situation to go to a safe place. Jesus does not withdraw and hide. He does so to continue his mission among different and very diverse peoples.
Our land has certainly been overshadowed by death and darkness. It is not only the darkness of winter, but the impact of the worldwide pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, the attack on our nation’s capital, violence in the streets, and the religious, racial, gender, economic inequities that seem to grow every day. These have made the darkness even darker. We may, like Jesus, want to withdraw to a safe place However, even though Jesus withdrew, he did not remain silent. He continued to preach and teach his Way. Those who heard the message saw in his words a great light. “And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem and Judea and far beyond the Jordan followed him.” This could not have been a more diverse religious and ethnic group of followers!
That is our call as followers of Jesus. We are sent to go out and preach the Word to EVERYONE so that once again the Good News will be heard and believed. Once again people will see a great light. It is up to us. It's our mandate. For, as Thomas Merton reminds us:
Christ is born to us today in order that he may appear to the whole world through us.
