Is. 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 5-13
1 Cor. 1:10-18 Matt. 4:12-23
Lectionary Link
Where did Jesus live? Where was his home? The Christmas story tells us that his birth home was Bethlehem, lining up with the home of King David, even though it was a one-off visit of his parents to pay taxes. Nazareth is the most obvious home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and it was located about 24 southwest of the Sea of Galilee. This Sea gave a name to the region of Galilee which is quite north of where Jerusalem is. It is a region that had been a part of the northern kingdom and had incurred an influx of Assyrian foreigners who had controlled the area and brought the Aramaic language to the region.
The Gospel lesson read today informs us that Jesus left Nazareth and made Capernaum his home. One might say that in the active ministry of Jesus, he was mainly homeless, since he traveled quite widely. To a potential disciple who wanted to dwell with him, he said, "the foxes have holes, but the son of man has no place to lay his head."
The Gospel writers who were writing after the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were occurring to all kinds of people, including the Gentiles, tried to line up the ministry of Jesus with the writings of the prophets. Indeed, Isaiah wrote about Galilee of the Gentiles being people who would see a great light.
The Gospel writer understood the life and ministry of the Risen Christ to be the light that was coming to the nations, Jews and Gentiles. And in fact this light coming to the nations was not inconsistent with the Hebrew Scriptures. Chapter and verse Isaiah text refers to light coming to the Gentiles.
What is it that make Christ accessible to the entire world? The church believed that Jesus of Nazareth was limited to being space and time encounters in various locations in Palestine when he lived and taught there. However, the Risen Christ represents the subsuming of Jesus back into the state of the omnipresence of God. And the Risen Christ gives particular revelatory language to speak about how God in Christ can become manifest to all peoples.
So the Jesus who had no home became known as the Risen Christ who has a home everywhere which is manifested in the lives of those who experience the indwelling communing with Christ through the experience of the Holy Spirit.
Where does Jesus live today? Rather the question is, where can the Risen Christ be found to reside today?
The answer is: The Risen Christ can reside in anyone, and in you and me. And if you and I are willing to be residing places for the Risen Christ, our bodies must be fit dwellings for such a presence as we speak and live in Christly ways with our lives.
Let us make ourselves fit dwelling places for the Risen Christ and say together, Christ, make your home in us today. Amen.
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