Monday 3 January 2011

Monday, January 3 Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Monday of Epiphany

On Sunday we looked for the Epiphany Address by the Pope.
Not surprisingly it did not appear on the Net and should have well anticipated the traditional Solemn Feast of the Epiphany on the 6th of January.
As we await the epiphanic words from Benedict xvi on 6th January the daily Mass commences the Weekday of Epiphany.



MATTHEW 4:12-17, 23-25
 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (v 17).


The Navarre Commentary 
Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Preaching in Galilee - The Announcement of the Kingdom
[RWP:Mat 4:12 -
Now when he heard (akousas de). The reason for Christ’s return to Galilee is given here to be that John had been delivered up into prison. The Synoptic Gospels skip from the temptation of Jesus to the Galilean ministry, a whole year. But for John 1:19-3:36 we should know nothing of the “year of obscurity” (Stalker). John supplies items to help fill in the picture. Christ’s work in Galilee began after the close of the active ministry of the Baptist who lingered on in prison for a year or more.]
Mat 4:13 -
Dwelt in Capernaum (Katōikēsen eis Kapharnaoum). He went first to Nazareth, his old home, but was rejected there (Luke 4:16-31). In Capernaum (probably the modern Tell Hūm) Jesus was in a large town, one of the centres of Galilean political and commercial life, a fishing mart, where many Gentiles came. Here the message of the kingdom would have a better chance than in Jerusalem with its ecclesiastical prejudices or in Nazareth with its local jealousies. So Jesus “made his home” (katōikēsen) here.]

{Gill: Mat 4:14-15 - That it might be fulfilled which was spoken,.... Christ's dwelling in Capernaum accomplished a prophecy of the prophet Isa_9:1 and he went and dwelt there, that it might be fulfilled which he had spoken: the meaning of which prophecy is (x), that as those parts of the land of Israel, there mentioned, had suffered much by Tiglathpileser, who had carried them captive, 2Ki_15:29 and is "the vexation" referred to; so they should be honoured, and made very glorious, by the presence and conversation of the Messiah among them, and which now had its literal fulfilment: for Christ now came and dwelt in Capernaum, which lay between the lands and upon the borders both of Zabulon and Nephthalim; was situated by the sea of Tiberias, beyond Jordan, and in, "Galilee of the nations"; the upper Galilee, which had in it people of other nations besides Jews. The ancient Jews expected the Messiah to make his first appearance in Galilee; which expectation must be grounded on this prophecy; for so they say (y) expressly,

"the king Messiah shall be revealed בארעא דגליל, "in the land of Galilee."''

And in another place (z) explaining Isa_2:19 they paraphrase it thus,

""for fear of the Lord"; this is the indignation of the whole world: and for the "glory of his majesty"; this is the Messiah; when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth, when he shall arise and be revealed בארעא דגליל, "in the land of Galilee": because that this is the first place to be destroyed in the holy land; therefore he shall be revealed there the first of all places.''

Here Jesus, the true Messiah, made his first appearance publicly; here he called his disciples, and began his ministry.

(x) See my treatise upon the "Prophecies of the Messiah", &c. p. 147, &c. (y) Zohar in Gen. fol. 74. 3. (z) Ib. in Exod. fol. 3. 3. & 88. 3.

 15-16.  Here St Matthew quotes the prophecy of   Isa_8:23  -  Isa_9:1  . The territory referred to (Zebulun, Naphtali, the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan), was invaded by the Assyrians in the period 734-721 B.C., especially during the reign of Tilgathpilneser III. A portion of the Jewish population was deported and sizeable numbers of foreigners were planted in the region to colonize it. For this reason it is referred to in the Bible henceforward as the "Galilee of the Gentiles". The evangelist, inspired by God, sees Jesus' coming to Galilee as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. This land, devastated and abused in Isaiah's time, will be the first to receive the light of Christ's life and preaching. The messianic meaning of the prophecy is, therefore, clear. 

 17.  See the note on  Mat_3:4  . This verse indicates the outstanding importance of the first step in Jesus' public ministry, begun by proclaiming the imminence of the Kingdom of God. Jesus' words echo John the Baptist's proclamation: the second part of this verse is the same, word for word, as Matthew  Mat_3:2  . This underlines the role played by St John the Baptist as prophet and precursor of Jesus. Both St John and our Lord demand repentance, penance, as a prerequisite to receiving the Kingdom of God, now beginning. God's rule over mankind is a main theme in Christ's Revelation, just as it was central to the whole Old Testament. However, in the latter, the Kingdom of God had an element of theocracy about it: God reigned over Israel in both spiritual and temporal affairs and it was through him that Israel subjected other nations to her rule. Little by little, Jesus will unfold the new-style Kingdom of God, now arrived at its fullness. He will show it to be a Kingdom of love and holiness, thereby purifying it of the nationalistic misconceptions of the people of his time. The King invites everyone without exception to this Kingdom (cf.  Mat_22:1-14  ). The Banquet of the Kingdom is held on this earth and has certain entry requirements which must be preached by the proponents of the Kingdom: "Therefore the eucharistic celebration is the center of the assembly of the faithful over which the priest presides. Hence priests teach the faithful to offer the divine Victim to God the Father in the sacrifice of the Mass, and with the Victim to make an offering of their whole lives. In the spirit of Christ the pastor, they instruct them to submit their sins to the Church with a contrite heart in the sacrament of Penance, so that they may be daily more and more converted to the Lord, remembering his words: 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand"' (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 5).
[RWP:Mat 4:17 - Began Jesus to preach (ērxato ho Iēsous kērussein). In Galilee. He had been preaching for over a year already elsewhere. His message carries on the words of the Baptist about “repentance” and the “kingdom of heaven” (Mat_3:2) being at hand. The same word for “preaching” (kērussein) from kērux, herald, is used of Jesus as of John. Both proclaimed the good news of the kingdom. Jesus is more usually described as the Teacher, (ho didaskalos) who taught (edidasken) the people. He was both herald and teacher as every preacher should be.]

 23.  "Synagogue": this word comes from the Greek and designates the building where the Jews assembled for religious ceremonies on the sabbath and other feast days. Such ceremonies were non-sacrificial in character (sacrifices could be performed only in the temple of Jerusalem). The synagogue was also the place where the Jews received their religious training. The word was also used to designate local Jewish communities within and without Palestine.

[RWP: Mat 4:23 -
Went about in all Galilee (periēgen en holēi tēi Galilaiai). Literally Jesus “was going around (imperfect) in all Galilee.” This is the first of the three tours of Galilee made by Jesus. This time he took the four fishermen whom he had just called to personal service. The second time he took the twelve. On the third he sent the twelve on ahead by twos and followed after them. He was teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues chiefly and on the roads and in the streets where Gentiles could hear.
Healing all manner of diseases and all manner of sickness (therapeuōn pāsan noson kai pāsan malakian). The occasional sickness is called malakian, the chronic or serious disease noson.
Mat 4:24 -
The report of him went forth into all Syria (apēlthen hē akoē autou eis holēn tēn Syrian). Rumour (akoē) carries things almost like the wireless or radio. The Gentiles all over Syria to the north heard of what was going on in Galilee. The result was inevitable. Jesus had a moving hospital of patients from all over Galilee and Syria.
Those that were sick” (tous kakōs echontas), literally “those who had it bad,” cases that the doctors could not cure.
Holden with divers diseases and torments” (poikilais nosois kai basanois sunechomenous). “Held together” or “compressed” is the idea of the participle. The same word is used by Jesus in Luk_12:50 and by Paul in Phi_1:23 and of the crowd pressing on Jesus (Luk_8:45). They brought these difficult and chronic cases (present tense of the participle here) to Jesus. Instead of “divers” say “various” (poikilais) like fever, leprosy, blindness. The adjective means literally many colored or variegated like flowers, paintings, jaundice, etc. Some had “torments” (basanois). The word originally (oriental origin) meant a touchstone, “Lydian stone” used for testing gold because pure gold rubbed on it left a peculiar mark. Then it was used for examination by torture. Sickness was often regarded as “torture.” These diseases are further described “in a descending scale of violence” (McNeile) as “demoniacs, lunatics, and paralytics” as Moffatt puts it, “demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics” as Weymouth has it, (daimonizomenous kai selēniazomenous kai paralutikous), people possessed by demons, lunatics or “moon-struck” because the epileptic seizures supposedly followed the phases of the moon (Bruce) as shown also in Mat_17:15, paralytics (our very word). Our word “lunatic” is from the Latin luna (moon) and carries the same picture as the Greek selēniazomai from selēnē (moon). These diseases are called “torments.”
Mat 4:25 -
Great multitudes (ochloi polloi). Note the plural, not just one crowd, but crowds and crowds. And from all parts of Palestine including Decapolis, the region of the Ten Greek Cities east of the Jordan. No political campaign was equal to this outpouring of the people to hear Jesus and to be healed by Jesus.]




20. The Announcement of the Kingdom

Mat 4:17
Mar 1:14-15
Luk 4:14-15
17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
14  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.



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