Turn Back

Matthew 4:12-17 (23-25)

As Jesus began his ministry, he moved from his hometown to Capernaum, a small fishing village on shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had it's beginning many centuries before when the Isrealite Tribe of Naphtali settled there. But before Jesus arrived there, so had many Gentiles. It was a simple village that you might miss if you blinked even on a camel's back.

Yet Jesus began his ministry here, even centered it here, and started preaching a simple, but profound message that we still need to hear,

"Change your life, God's kingdom is here." (Matthew 4:17, MSG)

The word "change" here is usually translated "repent" and comes from the Greek word, metanoein which is specifically a turning toward God! So when Jesus calls us to change, he is saying literally, change direction and face God!

It's not that God sees our life as so bad or terribly sinful, rather that we are facing the wrong way, focused on the wrong things. It's simply a call to bring us back into relationship with the One who created us.

It doesn't take much to distract us. As I'm writing this morning, I've had to get up from my computer no less than 8 times for something, dogs barking, needing let out, needing let in, needing fed, talking to my kids, my wife, fixing another cup of coffee, etc. We're busy with so many things, even details that seem very important and can include things at church. But paying attention to these "important" things is not paying attention to God.

And God simply wants our attention, but interestingly doesn't demand it from us, just asks us to...

...turn back.

Prayer: God, I lose my focus so easily, I get busy with life's details, and I forget you. Help me to be mindful of you even in the midst of my busy life, to ask you to come along with me and when I stop, even for a moment, to face you and know I am yours.
Amen.