Breaking the Word

When he 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." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  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. (Mt 4:12-17,23-25)

Jesus began his ministry of preaching and healing after John had been arrested. Does this mean that Jesus waited for John to complete his mission in order that he may start his work or he continued the work of John? Probably John had to complete the preparatory work before Jesus could start his own work. John was only a forerunner; the one who prepared the way of Jesus.

In the work of Jesus the texts of the Old Testament are fulfilled. Old Testament itself is only announced the coming of the Messiah. When the Messiah actually came the scriptures would be fulfilled in him and his activities. Here the author is presenting the fulfilment of the scriptures in Jesus. Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.

His activities and particularly that of healing the people were again signs of his Messiahship. For, he preached about the kingdom of God and was doing the works of the kingdom. There was a great following from all over the places including Syria and beyond Jordan. So Jesus was the one for whom John the Baptist prepared the way, and he is the one who is preaching the kingdom and he is the one who doing the works of the kingdom.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.  They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. (Mt 2:1-12)

Jesus was born a Jew. And he was revealed to the shepherds first. Jews were shepherds by profession: Abraham was a shepherd; Moses was a shepherd; David was a shepherd and all. So by revealing the birth of Jesus to shepherds was symbolic of revealing him to the whole of the Jewish community. This indirectly would mean that Jesus himself would be a shepherd. He spoke about himself as a ‘good shepherd’.

The Magi from the east coming to see the new born implies that his birth had a global significance. He had some relevance for the others also. They come with the idea that they have seen the star of a king. They asked for a new born king. By birth he was a shepherd and he was also a king: a shepherd king.

The Gospel writer also presents the thought pattern of his time by writing about the star. The people of that time believed that whatever happened on earth had its symbolic significance in the heavens. Every birth, every major event was shown through some signs in the heaves. Heaven and earth were together formed one single unit. Jesus who was born a shepherd king had the approval in the heavens.