Sunday 25th January
Read Matthew 4:23-25
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and illness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralysed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” (NIVUK)
Throughout Matthew’s gospel we have seen how carefully he captures the significance of the coming of Israel’s Messiah and King to the people of Israel and the implications and inclusion it heralds for the nations through the Abrahamic promises. The blessings that flow from Jesus’ arrival and ministry will eventually overflow to the nations.
This filling full of the promises to Abraham and David for the nations and Israel is captured geographically in this passage. When Mark, likely relaying the good news proclaimed by Peter, describes the geographical extent of Jesus’ ministry it clearly extends outside the borders of Israel. When Matthew reports it he very deliberately lists locations that fall within the promised borders of Israel upon their entry into the promised land. All of these regions fall within the allocated areas of the twelve tribes under Joshua.
Some mistakenly read this as Matthew narrowing the focus of Jesus’ ministry to Israel alone – arguing it is a Jewish gospel. But, having the whole narrative before us we see what Matthew is doing. Jesus comes as the promised fulfilment of all that Israel hoped for, and succeeded where they failed, and did so to ensure that the blessings promised to Abraham would reach out to the ends of the earth…
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) (NIVUK)
