Third Sunday of Epiphany
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.”
The themes of enlightenment and revelation are central to epiphany, those “ah-ha” moments when we suddenly see things differently.
This week, our passages explore what comes after the moment of revelation. Isaiah 9.1-4, is largely concerned with encouraging his people to keep hold of hope for a brighter future but this future is to be created by a choice: a choice not to ally themselves with one foreign power or another but to ally themselves only with God.
In our gospel, Matthew 4.12-23, Jesus responds to the arrest of John by yet another foreign power by calling his first disciples. He too asks them to make a choice: whether to continue to ally themselves with the empire of Rome (which would have licensed, regulated and taxed their catch of fish) or to ally themselves with God’s kingdom. Such a choice comes at a cost. It involves confronting the darkness in their land yet it is only by doing so that the light will dawn.
FIRST READING
Isaiah 9.1-4
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan –
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
GOSPEL
Matthew 4.12-23
Jesus begins to preach
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali – to fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles –
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.’"
From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Jesus calls his first disciples
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus heals the sick
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and illness among the people.
