Monday 20th October 2025
Monday, 20 October 2025
St Matthew 4: 12 – 17
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
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.’
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Reflection
This is a pivotal moment. This is a dawn of Jesus’ public ministry. After John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus withdraws to Galilee, settling in Capernaum by the sea. But this is not just a geographical move; it’s a theological one for it fulfils the prophecy in Isaiah 9: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
Jesus doesn’t start where you would expect amongst the religious elite. He begins at the margins, in Galilee, a place full of outsiders and ordinary people. In doing so, Jesus shows us that God’s kingdom dawns in unexpected places and amongst unexpected people.
His opening message is not new, but it is simple. It is radical. It is not quite the message to win hearts or to make you popular. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. In other words, this is the Call to intentionally turning around, of reorienting your life toward God. Jesus is calling people to a complete transformation. The Kingdom is not something distant or abstract. It is near. It has come in him. What a way to start your ministry!
This passage reminds us that light shines most clearly in the darkness. In a world of fear, injustice, division, and despair, the message of Jesus breaks in with hope. His arrival signals a new beginning, not just for Galilee, but for all of us. And we, like those early hearers, are invited to respond.
Are we willing to turn from whatever holds us back whether selfishness, cynicism, despair, apathy and turn toward the light? Are we open to the kingdom breaking into our lives, even when it calls us to change?
God’s good news often begins where we least expect it. The call to repentance is not a threat. It’s an invitation. An invitation to live in the light, to follow the one who brings hope, healing, and new life. The kingdom has come near. How will you respond?
Prayer
The kingdom of God is justice and joy
Gracious God, remove all that holds us back – selfishness, cynicism, despair and apathy [add in what it is that holds you back]. Free our hearts to say yes to your invitation to be transformed by your love. Shape us into vessels of your grace, that your kingdom may grow in and through us, bringing light, hope, and healing to the world.
Amen.