January 25, 2014

3rd Sunday - A


Commentary

Great Light for People who Sit in Darkness

Jesus does not begin his ministry in Jerusalem, the center of Judaism, where devout Jews worship in the Temple.  

Instead, he goes first to the “land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali.”

Zebulun and Naphtali were the first two Israeli tribes that were conquered by the Assyrians.   Many of the people were forced into exile by their conquerors.  Their land and homes were then occupied by non-Jews.   By the time of Jesus, over 700 years later, the area has indeed become what Isaiah prophesized as “Galilee of the Gentiles” with at least half of the population were non-Jews.  [1]   

Truly, in fulfilling God’s plan, proclaimed by Isaiah, Jesus is the light for “the people who sit in darkness.”  He is the Savior who has come to bring life to “those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death.” 

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[1] Raymond Brown, Ed.  The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall; 1990, p. 638.

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