The arrest
of John the Baptist is the occasion for Jesus to withdraw. However, the
withdrawal of Jesus is not one from fear or cowardice, but in keeping with his
view of a non-violent kingship. Jesus will not retaliate or react. He remains
always the actor, not the reactor.
The reason
why Matthew has Jesus settle in Galilee is because of its association with
Gentiles as is evident in the fifth formula or fulfilment quotation in
Matthew’s Gospel which here is from Isaiah. In Isaiah the context is the
reversal which will occur in the latter days, when the spiritual darkness of
Galilee will be dispelled by the dawn of the new age when the ideal king
appears. In Matthew, the text functions as a fulfilment of that new age. In
Jesus all darkness has been removed because the light has come.
While in
Mark the first words that Jesus speaks consist of his proclamation, this is not
the case in Matthew. Jesus speaks first with John the Baptist and during the
temptations responds to Satan. However, the first public words that Jesus
speaks in Matthew are found here. They consist of an imperative based on an
indicative. The imperative is the call to “Repent”. The reason for this
repentance is that the kingdom of heaven is here or has already arrived. The
text therefore explicates that no one can do anything or need do anything to
bring about the kingdom. No amount of effort on the part of human beings can
result in the coming of the kingdom. The reason for this is that it has already
come and is given as a free gift to all of humankind. The proper response to
the arrival of the kingdom is receiving it with all humility and simplicity and
openness and receptivity. A change of mind, heart and vision is what is
required to receive the kingdom as a free gift from God. Since the kingdom that
Jesus brings is one that has never been experienced before, a narrow mind with
a stereotypical way of looking at God and the world will not be able to
comprehend it, thus the new mind.
Many of us
still think that it is our good deeds which are responsible for our salvation
and that if we continue to do good and be good, we will have earned eternal
life. This is a warped way of understanding God, Jesus and his message. Our God
in Jesus is not a God who is a grocer or one who deals with us as in barter
exchange. Salvation can never be earned or bought by our goodness. Rather, our
goodness is a consequence of our salvation.
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