When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This passage may seem to be a simple narative about movements and actions of the various players at that time. However, there is a major thing happening here. This passage marks the official beginning of Jesus’s Ministry. St. Jerome, writing about the line, says “Mystically interpreted, Christ begins to preach as soon as John was delivered to prison, because when the Law ceased, the Gospel commenced.”

Before this moment the law consisted of the teachings of Moses, the Sages, and the centuries of prophesy. The kingdom before this time consisted of the kingdom of David. David was annointed by God as king, and his son Solomon inherited that kingdom, and Solomon’s mother became the queen of the kingdom. and this tradition was repeated until the moment of todays reading. John’s preaching, represented the fullfillment of all of the law and the prophets.

That old tradition of queens would be fulfilled in Mary, and the heritage of the Davidic Kings would be fullfilled in Jesus. Jesus would be the new annointed king of the throne of David, but He would also sit in the on the throne of the Great High King in the kingdom of heaven. The old dividic kingdom has come to an end, and Jesus begins anew. This is what all of the Old Testament was pointing to, all of what the prophesies fortold, and all of what all of the people of isreal were waiting for. But instead of hearing the preaching of John, and heeding his warnings, and seeing the fullfillment of all prophesy in Jesus Christ, the pharisees instead rejected john, imprisoned him, and eventually martyred him.

The pharisees, ultimately rejected the law, and the prophets…, chose themselves instead, and would eventually kill their king too. This moment marks the point were the new covenant will begin, and this new covenant will be proclaimed via the gospel. The gospel is the way and the truth and the life, in a word it is Jesus. This gospel is the new teaching of the “kingdom of heaven,” and it is indeed now at hand. But how can heaven be at hand? Well Jesus is remaking the Davidic kingdom in himself. Jesus’ life death and resurrection built this new kingdom. It did not exist before this point, and that is why Jesus is our saviour, He created a place for us to be with him in eternal happiness, and he showed us the way to live so that we will be invited into eternity forever, and he open the gates, so that we could enter upon our deaths.

This is why the kingdom is at hand. Because it lies before us (within reach). The invitation is real, and the oportunity for eternal happiness simply waits for our assent. What an incredible gift that Jesus has placed at our feet, you simply need to bend down on your knees and pick it up. The old is over, and the new has begun, and we should indeed repent in the light of this new covenant and promise. The gates of heaven are now wide open to you, if you simply repent, and humby ask for God’s forgiveness, and eternity of happiness awaits.

Oh lord, help me to repent of my evil ways, to reject the tempations and allurements of this world, and to choose you above all things, amen.