God promised to confer glory on the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee, by shining a great light that would dispel
the darkness of those living in a land of deep shadow. This light
would confer glory upon them, giving them joy in God's
presence and freeing them from the burden of the oppression
weighing upon their shoulders. This light would be a child, a
son, a ruler, who would be called 'Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'.
By withdrawing to Galilee and settling 'in Capernaum by the
sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali', Jesus fulfilled
Isaiah's prophecy. He is the light that shines on the land of deep
shadow. He confers glory on the land.
The darkness and shadow over the land is the reign of sin and
its wages, death. The fear of death overwhelms and oppresses
us, robbing us of joy, of the sense of God's presence.
This darkness can only be dispelled by Christ, 'the light of the
world'. He alone can disarm sin of its seductive hold over us,
conquer Satan, and free us from the fear and bondage of death.
Jesus, 'the resurrection and the life', shines His light upon us,
filling us with gladness, freedom, and the joy of God's
presence, and confers glory upon us.
Christ's light will dispel the darkness of sin and death in our
lives as we enter into His kingdom through repentance and then
follow Him as His disciples. Repentance is necessary for we
have to choose decisively to leave the old kingdom of sin and
darkness, and enter into the new kingdom of God's Son, the
kingdom of truth and light and holiness.
We must renounce all the ways of the kingdom of darkness,
rejecting sin's allurements and seductions.
(Excerpt : catholic-bible-school.org
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