The arrest of John the Baptist does not bring Jesus to cower in fear and to abandon his mission.

Rather, it becomes clear to Jesus that John’s arrest and imprisonment are an unmistakable sign for him to begin his mission. He does not wait for an ideal situation before he would make his first move in proclaiming the Kingdom of heaven. In fact, it could be considered a bad time, with the Roman Empire taking a tight hold on the lives of the Jewish people with the vassal Jewish king Herod Antipas ruling in Galilee and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate governing Jerusalem and Judea. But any time is appropriate time to proclaim God’s salvation.

Jesus leaves his native Nazareth and goes to live in Capernaum, in the Galilean region of Zebulun and Napthali. Isaiah called the region “Galilee of the Gentiles” (gelil haggoyim, “Galilee of the uncircumcised”). It was inhabited by Jews who have intermarried with pagans, thus the population is generally despised and branded as “impure” people. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali are two of the ten northern tribes of Israel that have been mixed with outsiders, especially when the Assyrians settled there with other people they have conquered. Judeans avoid mingling with the inhabitants of that region.

Matthew writes that Jesus’ presence in Capernaum and the towns around the “sea” (Sea of Tiberias) fulfills Isaiah’s prophetic words: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen” (v 16).

Indeed, the Good News that Jesus brings is a light to people’s path, giving them hope. Jesus brings good news to the poor. And he finds welcome among the Galileans who may not be orthodox in their belief as Jews but are less self-righteous as the people of Jerusalem, especially their religious leaders.

At the onset of his mission, Jesus calls his first set of disciples. Nothing has prepared Andrew, Simon, James, and John for the task of becoming “fishers of men.” Their training is to catch fish and trade their catch with fish vendors.

Their “authority” is limited to some people in their employ in fishing. But they let themselves be won over by Jesus’ magnetic presence. They leave behind their boats, their father Zebedee (in the case of James and John), and follow Jesus in the adventure of preaching the Good News of the Kingdom.

At times they would be slow in understanding what the Kingdom of heaven entails. They would prevent children from going to Jesus, be jealous of their right as Jesus’ intimate group, be lacking in faith and trust, be after position of honor and power. But Jesus is a patient teacher, and he teaches through unforgettable stories like parables. Most of all, he teaches by example: being merciful and caring to the least and the last.

Speaking of the call of the first disciples, Pope Francis shares: “There are different ways of carrying out the plan that God has for each of us, which is always a plan of love. … And the greatest joy for every believer is to respond to this call, to offer all of himself at the service of God and his brothers and sisters.” Where do you feel the Lord is calling you at this stage of your life? Do you have the openness of the first disciples of Jesus?

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.