Word to the Wise
Monday, January 3, 2022 - Monday after Epiphany, or Jan. 7
[1 John 3:22-4:6 and Matt 4:12-17, 23-25]When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulon and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled. Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the wea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." [Matthew]
From the baby settled in Nazareth after the trip back from Egypt (in the Gospel According to Matthew), we "fast-forward" to the adult Jesus who has been baptized by John the Baptist and tested in the desert. The arrest of John the Baptist seems to have "triggered" Jesus' public ministry. But, as in the flight to Egypt, this beginning has a hint of danger that prompts Jesus to settle on Capernaum as his headquarters. The location is significant, in the light of the visit of the non-Jewish Magi, because it was in an area where there were many non-Jewish people living. Matthew sees this, as in his infancy narrative, as the fulfillment of a prophecy of Isaiah, as quoted above: "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Scripture scholars and theologians have long wrestled with a kind of "what did Jesus know about himself and when did he know it?" question. Did he "know" he was God, at least initially?Was he a disciple of John the Baptist? Why did he wait until he was about 30 years old before beginning his ministry? What happened to all those "hidden" years?" As to the latter, there was much fanciful non-canonical literature about Jesus' infancy and pre-ministry years. All four evangelists seem to have regarded those earlier years as of no importance to their story. The Gospel According to John leaves little doubt that Jesus knew who he was and proceeded according to plan over a three year period. The other three evangelists are more vague but have Jesus going from Galilee to Jerusalem in a one-year ministry. This is particularly prominent in the Gospel According to Luke.
From our perspective of 2000+ years later, these questions may not be as important as the message of repentance. The theological debates about Jesus' identity as God and human are left to all the theologians from the beginnings of the Church. It is challenge enough to "repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." This does not require us to "interview" Jesus, but simply to follow him. The apostles and first disciples and later Church "fathers and mothers" struggled with the same questions, so we are in good company! AMEN