Read: Matthew 13.53-14.12
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: The sun rises and sets every day, often with little notice from us as we go about our busy daily schedules. It's not unusual for many of us to come to the end of a day and say, "It's dark already...where did the day go?" In reality, sunset does not occur rapidly and "out of nowhere." Scientists define three stages of sunset: civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. The sky does not become completely dark until the end of astronomical twilight, but artificial lighting becomes necessary for outdoor activities at nautical twilight (when stars are visible enough to be used for navigation on the seas). Civil twilight usually features enough natural light to continue outdoor activities without interruption, but the darkening environment often marks the time governments begin to limit certain types of aviation and hunting (and to require the use of headlights) for safety reasons. Darkness can indeed "creep up on us" when we are unprepared.
Matthew does not want us to miss the growing darkness around Jesus at this point in His ministry. We've already seen that the Pharisees were plotting to eliminate Jesus (even if it involved killing Him). Now we witness the rejection of Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth, a place where we would assume He would find affirmation and support (verses 13.53-58). His hometown "took offense at him...and he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."
Matthew also notes the growing darkness in the larger setting of Jesus' ministry. He relates the scandalous events surrounding the death of John the Baptist, who in normal times would never have been put to death by the king (given John's popularity with the people). But Jesus' time is no ordinary time, and the unthinkable can become reality. Herod has put John to death, and now Jesus has come to his attention (verses 14.1-2). Moreover, John's death has come to the attention of Jesus (verse 14.12). For a Jewish audience wondering how a Savior/Messiah promised to Israel from centuries past could possibly be rejected and even killed by His own countrymen, Matthew is using his Gospel account to make it clear how such an event could occur. The darkness was falling long before the darkness of Good Friday.
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