"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 20 January 2017 with Scripture Matthew 4:12-23

"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 20 January 2017 with Scripture Matthew 4:12-23
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Matthew 4:12 When Yeshua heard that Yochanan had been put in prison, he returned to the Galil; 13 but he left Natzeret and came to live in K’far-Nachum, a lake shore town near the boundary between Z’vulun and Naftali. 14 This happened in order to fulfill what Yesha‘yahu the prophet had said,
15 “Land of Z’vulun and land of Naftali,
toward the lake, beyond the Yarden, Galil-of-the-Goyim —
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those living in the region, in the shadow of death,
light has dawned.” [Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 8:23(9:1)–9:1(2)]
17 From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”
18 As Yeshua walked by Lake Kinneret, he saw two brothers who were fishermen — Shim‘on, known as Kefa, and his brother Andrew — throwing their net into the lake. 19 Yeshua said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men!” 20 At once they left their nets and went with him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers — Ya’akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan his brother — in the boat with their father Zavdai, repairing their nets; and he called them. 22 At once they left the boat and their father and went with Yeshua.
23 Yeshua went all over the Galil teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing people from every kind of disease and sickness.[Complete Jewish Bible}
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"Repent for the kingdom of God is near." It is easy to interpret these words as harsh and unforgiving. And yet for Jesus they are an invitation to live into the promise of God's compassionate justice. The phrasing could just as easily read this way: "Good news! The kingdom of God is near! Oh, and by the way, the power of this news can only lead to repentance." That is to say, it's nearly impossible to dwell in darkness when you are standing in the presence of a great light. It is awfully hard to believe lies when the truth is walking with you. Or as Martin Luther King, Jr. put it: "A lie cannot live."
If the kingdom of God is near, then there are certain behaviors that just don't make sense anymore. Greed, violence, racism and other forms of sin are all exposed for the lie that they are. Repentance ("to change or turn around") is the only natural response to the overwhelming power of God. God's kingdom is near whether we want it to be or not. Do we have the courage to allow this reality to turn us away from our fear? "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy" (Martin Luther King, Jr.). 
God of light, reveal your brilliance to us so clearly that we have no choice but to live into your future of shalom. Amen.
David Scherer, ‘15
Contextual Learning Coordinator, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.
13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.[New Revised Standard Version]
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