SUNDAY’S COMING: BIBLE STUDY
Bible Study for The Third Sunday of Epiphany (01/26/20)
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Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:12-23When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
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Points to Ponder:
We pick up after the Temptation in the wilderness, and the arrest of John the Baptist. Jesus heads back up to Galilee, and encamps at Capernaum. Matthew sees in this a keeping of the promise in Isaiah, which he then quotes (see the reading above). In this Jesus moves from a quiet village (Nazareth) to a more vital town close to the Via Maris, a Roman road that connected the fishing communities of Galilee to Syria in the north.
Zebulun and Naphtali were occupied in ancient times by those tribes until they were overrun by Assyrian troops who resettled the resident tribes into other lands. Thus in the quote from Isaiah, Matthew sees Jesus’ activity there as a “return” from the ancient exile. The poor who were left behind, are the first to see God’s new light. What is not explicitly stated is that this area was now also home to both Greek and Roman settlers, an indication of the future appeal of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
The focus in the meanwhile, is the house of Israel, and Jesus calls Peter and Andrew, James and John. Accompanying Jesus, they see his ministry of preaching a message of repentance, and healing.
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The Take Away: What does this mean for my life? Some questions –
1. Who are the “left behind” people in your life?
2. Who are the preachers in your life?
3. What is God’s call to you?
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After studying the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bible Study for The Third Sunday of Epiphany (01/26/20)
************************************************************
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:12-23When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
************************************************************
Points to Ponder:
We pick up after the Temptation in the wilderness, and the arrest of John the Baptist. Jesus heads back up to Galilee, and encamps at Capernaum. Matthew sees in this a keeping of the promise in Isaiah, which he then quotes (see the reading above). In this Jesus moves from a quiet village (Nazareth) to a more vital town close to the Via Maris, a Roman road that connected the fishing communities of Galilee to Syria in the north.
Zebulun and Naphtali were occupied in ancient times by those tribes until they were overrun by Assyrian troops who resettled the resident tribes into other lands. Thus in the quote from Isaiah, Matthew sees Jesus’ activity there as a “return” from the ancient exile. The poor who were left behind, are the first to see God’s new light. What is not explicitly stated is that this area was now also home to both Greek and Roman settlers, an indication of the future appeal of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
The focus in the meanwhile, is the house of Israel, and Jesus calls Peter and Andrew, James and John. Accompanying Jesus, they see his ministry of preaching a message of repentance, and healing.
*******************************************************************
The Take Away: What does this mean for my life? Some questions –
1. Who are the “left behind” people in your life?
2. Who are the preachers in your life?
3. What is God’s call to you?
********************************************************************
After studying the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.