Isaiah 8:23-9:3; Matthew 4:12-23 (Sunday, January 27, 2008)

The prophet Isaiah’s message in the first reading of today is a call to hope. The Assyrian Army has despoiled the land of Judah and this is a dark time in their history. Their life is like being in a dark tunnel, without knowing how to proceed. There is distress in the land and the future looks gloomy. We, like the people of Judah are living during one of the darkest periods of our history as a nation. We live in fear of the terrorists, our economy is heading down to recession, industries are moving overseas leaving our people jobless, our homes are being foreclosed leaving many people homeless; we as individuals and as a nation are heavily in debt to credit card companies and to foreign nations. We may ask, what is the way forward? Will the tax rebate really help us? Isaiah’s oracle is an invitation to the people to hope, for the Lord will provide the light that will shine through their darkness. Darkness would give way to light and there will once more be abundant joy and rejoicing. Like the prophet Isaiah, I say to you today, “Do not give up, Christ our light, will show us the way through this darkness.”
Matthew in the Gospel of today tells us that when Jesus began his ministry, he left Nazareth and took up residence in Capernaum. Jesus will never return to Nazareth again. By choosing to leave Nazareth, Jesus let go of everything, to begin the mission that was being entrusted to him by the Father. He trusted that the Father will always be with him as he accomplishes this mission. He was not afraid embarking on this mission. The four apostles whom Jesus called in the gospel of today to follow him where not afraid either. Even though Jesus did not promise them any job securities, not even a place to lay down their heads, they left their professions and followed Jesus. As Jesus trusted in the mission of the Father, they too, trusted in the mission of Jesus. They were ready to go with him wherever he leads them and they were open to the will of the Father.
Like the apostles, Jesus calls every one of us today. The problem most of us have is that we are not willing to give up everything and follow him. We want to hang onto to the world, and at the same hold on to Jesus. At a result, we are not good in either. Fear hinders us from committing totally to Jesus. As the Psalmist tells us, “If the Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall we fear?” We need not be afraid of anything. He is the light that will dispel our darkness and will lead us into the future. In the midst of our darkness, let us hold unto Jesus firmly. Let go of all your worries and cling to Jesus who will lead you through these storms of your life.