Modest Beginnings

Zebulun and Naphtali were tribal territories established after the Exodus and the settlement of the Promised Land. Located in the northern part of Israel, they were borderlands, exposed to invasion and loss. They were familiar with hardship and uncertainty. In today’s first reading (Isa 8:23-9:3) the prophet says that these places will be the first to see the light. What had been degraded would be restored.

By the time of Jesus, these regions were known as Galilee. The old tribal boundaries had faded, but the history remained. When Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee and settles in Capernaum, He is standing on the very land Isaiah named centuries earlier. The Gospel makes clear that this is not coincidence. The light promised long ago now arrives to dispel the darkness this land has known before.

Jesus does not announce Himself from centers of power. He walks along the shoreline. He meets people while they work. He calls fishermen, men with nets in their hands and routines in place.

The apostles do not leave their nets, families, and work because they are impulsive or careless. They leave because something profound is already happening within them. They recognize something they may not yet fully understand, but they know it is real. But in that moment, the call outweighs the lives they currently lead.

The call of the apostles is not meant to pressure us into dramatic gestures. Most discipleship unfolds gradually. Yet the apostles remind us that when Christ’s call becomes clear, there is a grace that makes letting go possible.

1.God promised light to places that had first known darkness. Does that imagery provide you with any hope? How so?

2.Discipleship often unfolds slowly and quietly. What small step might Christ be inviting you to take at this stage of your life?

3.When you think about God’s call, do you see it as something only religious people know to listen for, or do you see it as something that unfolds naturally in everyone? Why?