Preaching Paths 25 January 2026, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Yr A

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary

Today’s Gospel reading, Mt 4:12-23, opens with the inauguration of Jesus’ preaching and healing ministry. After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (4:1-11), he learns that John the Baptist has been arrested and thrown into prison by Herod. Jesus, recognizing that it is dangerous to preach news of a kingdom unauthorized by Rome, “withdraws” to Galilee. He chooses a region of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, occupied by Rome in his own time, but by the Assyrians in Isaiah’s time. It is, historically, the land of captives who “sit in darkness.” Isaiah’s doubling of the phrase “to them” (see Prof Petropoulos’s  grammatical analysis) emphasizes that on those resigned across centuries to hopelessness – on them, and especially on them—light has dawned.

Keen readers will notice that Jesus’ message (Mt 4:17) is identical to that of his cousin, John the Baptist (Mt 3:2). It is upon those who dwell in the deepest darkness, in deserts devoid of hope, that news of God’s reign will burst like a “great light.” It is first and foremost the humble—the ones that self-absorbed regimes exploit—who have ears for Jesus’ message. Surely, the reign of God is good news to all who are despondent, rich or poor; yet, listeners in our pews who are (relatively speaking) prosperous and secure will benefit most from a sermon that invites them to imagine their role as servants, or perhaps “midwives,” of the reign of God for the sake of others. We will need to help such listeners “see” the ones who are utterly stripped of hope and agency by the ambitions and schemes of today’s systems of power and privilege. We will need to encourage our listeners to speak and act on their behalf.  

Commentators note that fishermen like Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were very likely working under contract to Rome. Jesus calls them away from this servitude. His strange invitation – “I will make you fish for people”—is so compelling that they abandon their nets—they quietly defect—and become disciples of the rabbi Jesus. James and John, fishermen with their father Zebedee, are called away, too.

Jesus teaches in the Jewish synagogues—a wise strategy. Rome allowed local religions to thrive, provided they did not encourage behavior that destabilized the state.  Jesus embodies the reign of God that he preaches: “curing every disease and every sickness among the people” (v 23).

It is first and foremost the humble—the ones that self-absorbed regimes exploit—who  have ears for this message. The challenge for today’s preachers is to help the prosperous embrace their role in the coming of God’s reign, moving beyond the sanctuary doors to engage those who struggle daily with scarcity and marginalization. Yet, congregants who serve those in need and see neighbors and strangers set free from oppressive circumstances, return to the community with stories of hope to tell. Their testimony can energize others. Making room for such testimony in worship brings near the reign of God.

The four fishermen who leave their nets to follow Jesus are bold; they commit themselves to a risky venture. Becoming publicly identified with a man who proclaims a “kingdom” in territory occupied by Rome is bold indeed. For decades, being Christian has been non-controversial in many Western cultures; but this is changing. When governments label the defenseless among us as “criminal,” defund access to medical care, and otherwise target the poor, embodying God’s reign can become controversial and even dangerous. Yet, today as long ago, Jesus continues to call us: “Follow me!” God grant us strength to leave the safety of our fishing boats.