According to biblical chronology, the Israelites conquered the Holy Land in the 15th century BC. Each of the tribes received a large territory for its own, except for the tribe of Levi, which was designated as the priestly tribe. The Levites would tend to the spiritual needs of the other tribes and, in return, their reward wouldn't be land, but the Lord Himself, who would be their inheritance. The territories belonging to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, mentioned both in the First Reading and the Gospel Reading for this Sunday, were located in the northern part of the Holy Land.
In the 11th century BC, the tribal lands started to be forged into a single monarchy under King Saul, the first king of the Israelites. The kingdom reached its peak in the 10th century BC under King David and his son King Solomon. However, after Solomon's reign, still in the 10th century BC, the kingdom was split in two, the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. Roughly 200 years later, the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, who removed the local population and resettled the tribes in other lands. They started the dismantling of the Kingdom of Israel in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali.
After the Assyrians came the Babylonians, who took over the conquered territories and also conquered the Kingdom of Judah in the south. Then came the Persians, who defeated the Babylonians and conquered their empire. The Persians were followed by the Greeks and then by the Romans, who had control of the area at the time of Christ.
During the reigns of the various conquerors, the Israelites were fervently yearning for the coming of the Messiah, who would overthrow their oppressors and would usher in a new, glorious era for the people of Israel. They expected the Messiah to be a military king, who would reign over their enemies and make Jerusalem the center of the world.
When Jesus was born, the Messiah had at long last arrived. However, he did not come in the way the Israelites had expected. Instead, he exceeded even their wildest expectations. The Messiah wasn't just a great man, who would lead the people, but God Himself, the Creator of all things.
In the Gospel Reading for this Sunday, we see that Jesus begins his ministry in Zebulun and Naphtali, where the dismantling of the Kingdom of Israel had started. He begins the restoration where the destruction had begun. But the restoration will be very different from what the Israelites had imagined. He didn't come to restore Israel politically, but to establish his reign upon the earth, the Kingdom of Heaven. He came to offer us salvation from our sins and to usher in the remaking of society according to the divine order. Moreover, in the fullness of time, at his Second Coming, he will restore fallen nature itself.
In the Gospel Reading, we see Jesus calling the first disciples. As he is walking along the Sea of Galilee, he sees them fishing, which was their family business. He calls to them and invites them to follow him. Peter, Andrew, James, and John leave everything behind and begin to follow him immediately.
The question arises for us: Are we able to follow Jesus in the same way? We may not be called to walk out on a job for Jesus, but there are many other things we need to give up if we are to truly welcome Jesus into our lives. Are we willing to give up unwholesome forms of entertainment? Are we willing to give up an unhealthy attachment to material things? To quit activities that take us away from Christ? To control our words so that our speech is in conformity with the values of Christ? To reshape our thinking so that our mind can reflect the mind of Christ? Are we willing to make Christ completely the center of our lives?
St. Paul urges us to do so in the Second Reading. He chastises the Corinthians because they had developed factions, allowing human values to seep into the life of the Church. Today, we see the tragedy of division within Christianity. Even within the Catholic Church, we see factions and divisions. We must rise above such human bickering and conform ourselves completely to Christ, making him the center of all that we do.
Of course, putting Christ in the center does not come without risk in this world. As Christ told us, if they persecuted him, they will persecute us also. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday starts with the arrest of John the Baptist, who will later be executed because he had preached the truth of God. Of the four disciples who leave everything to follow Jesus in this passage, three will be martyred and one, John, will end his days in a cruel labor camp.
Today, more Christians are martyred than ever before. The Christians of Nigeria are facing genocide at the hands of Muslims. Christians are increasingly being driven out of the Holy Land. Even in the United States, Christians are starting to be killed for their faith, as in the horrific attack on children attending a school Mass in Minneapolis. But even if we are not physically killed, adherence to our faith can cause us to lose employment, business opportunities, friendships, and the love of family members. In the face of such dangers, are we willing to put Christ in the center of our lives? If we do so, our reward is his eternal, unending, infinite love.
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The readings for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A, are:
Isaiah 8:23—9:3
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: The Sea of Galilee by Zoltan Abraham (c) 2016.