A Great Light

From today’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25): “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land  overshadowed by death light has arisen…”

Using this text as our model: Land of Mashpee and land of Cape Cod, surrounded by the sea, beyond the Canal, home of the Christians [and other faiths], the people who sat in darkness of winter have seen a great light we call Jesus Christ, on those believers dwelling in a land overshadowed by death of plants and by some with sadness of hearts and low spirit, light has arisen through the expectation of spring and a New Year full of promise and hope.

According to Matthew: "He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.  His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.”

For those of us with some of those symptoms and afflictions, we seek cures, and we find them in Jesus when we follow him - our Prince of Peace.

Deacon David Pierce