From today’s reading...
This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea beyond Jordan. Galilee of the nations! The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a country of shadow dark as death a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:14-16
When you hear this prophecy of Isaiah, it sounds like he’s talking about a land that is far away, doesn’t it?
As Americans, we interpret this as, “Land of Africa! Land of Asian! Way of the sea beyond Europe.”
However, the reality is that Zebulun was maybe 60 miles from Jerusalem while the southern edge of Naphtali bordered Zebulun to the north, so it wasn’t all that far, either.
It certainly wasn’t an ocean nor a continent away.
But the land had been conquered by the Assyrians, and the tribe of Israel that lived there had been exiled.
If Isaiah lived in my hometown of Murrieta, CA today, his message might be, “Land of San Diego! Land of Los Angeles! Way of highway beyond the 10. Pasadena of the nations! The homeless, the drug addicts, the secularists, the baby-killers, the atheists, the dictatorial politicians drunk with power have seen a great light; on those who lived in a state of shadow dark as death a light has dawned.”
In other words, clean your room.
Clean your house.
Clean your neighborhood.
Clean your city.
Then clean your state.
If you make it that far, you’ll have a roadmap and a credible example for the nation and the world to know what it will take to...
Stay the course.
Keep the faith.
Endure.
Now go sell something.