REFLECTIONS TODAY
The start of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee is introduced by a somber note: the arrest of John the Baptist. Matthew will later tell the story in detail: Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee under the Roman Empire, had imprisoned John the Baptist who had publicly reproved him for divorcing his first wife and unlawfully taking his sister-in-law (his brother’s wife Herodias) as his second wife. Herod then ordered John the Baptist to be killed by beheading (14:3-12). The voice of the Baptist is stilled, but a more powerful voice begins to be heard, that of Jesus. As the announcement of the Good News must be received with an open heart, the Baptist’s earlier call continues to reverberate: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v17).
The evangelist Matthew loves to place the words and acts of Jesus in the context of Old Testament prophecies. Whatever might be the original context of the oracles, these find their true fulfillment in Jesus. In fact, the true “exegete” is Jesus. He “interprets” the Scriptures. The deeper meaning of the oracle is found in him. A great light prophesied by Isaiah over the “Galilee of the Gentiles” once in darkness because of pagan practices now finds fulfillment in Jesus’ announcement of God’s reign in Capernaum and the nearby towns.
While in prison, Paul writes that the Word of God is not chained or stilled (2 Tm 2:8-10). John the Baptist would have the same conviction while in prison, awaiting the judgment of Herod. Someone “greater than him”—Jesus—will take over. While John “decreases” in prison, Jesus now begins to “increase” in his public ministry.
First Reading • 1 Jn 3:22—4:6
Beloved: We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit whom he gave us.
Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist who, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2025,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.