Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday after Epiphany

Drink this first; act swiftly, region of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, and the rest who are on the coast and across the Jordan, Galilee of the nations! People going in darkness, see a great light! Those inhabiting a region, a shadow of death, light will shine on you! The greatest part of the people that you led down in your gladness will also make merry before you, like those gladdened during the harvest and just like those who divide up the spoils, because the yoke laid on them and the rod on their neck has been taken away. For he shattered the rod of those demanding payment as in the day in the time of Midian. (Isaiah 9:1–4 LXX)

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4:12–25)

Of those who do not see, some are blind and on account of blindness do not see; some are in darkness and for that reason do not see; yet others are neither in darkness nor are they blind, but because they close [their] eyes, they do not see. And the Divine Scripture knows these differences which concern the chief part of our heart; for the Savior says “to those who are in bonds, ‘Go forth!’ and to those who are in darkness, ‘Let it be revealed to them,’” and “to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, ‘Light has risen over them.’” Those ones did not see for the reason that they were in darkness, until the light rose over them. “O deaf ones, hear, and, O blind ones, see!” For this reason, those ones did not see before, because they were naturally blind. But all those who are outside these categories are much worse when compared to those who are blind and those who are in darkness, for they are those who do not see because they have willingly closed their eyes. Now, this is so, as we have declared, for the Savior will be a witness for me, saying, “If you were blind, you would not have sin, yet now you say, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.” And he says rightly, “You say, ‘We see’”; for truly they say that they see and have the ability to see, but, by closing their eyes, they do not see. And if at any time you were to see a soul naturally gifted at understanding, and swift and eager, not meditating on the eloquent words of God, know that that soul does not see these things that are contained in the Scriptures not because of blindness and not because he is in darkness but because he closes his eyes.

Origen, Homilies on Isaiah 6.7

And therefore the holy Gospel records where the first apostles landed, and the prophecy foretells all that was about to happen. And therefore he preached the gospel first to those in Galilee. For when Emmanuel was revealed and about to spend his time among humanity, it was necessary that the country not keep silent. And the country was Galilee, in which the Word preached the saving drink, saying: Drink this first, do it quickly, O country of Zebulun and land of Naphtali. And the tribe of Zebulun and the tribe of Naphtali were the two tribes which were allotted Galilee in the distribution of the land administered by Joshua son of Nun. But it happened that Greeks lived in this land in the midst of the two tribes (for not only Jews but also other races were inhabiting the land at this time). The word must have remembered this when it said: And the rest by the sea beyond the Jordan. And being exceedingly accurate, it brings forward even another Galilee when it says: Those by the sea and beyond the Jordan. It says by the sea concerning every harbor around the lake of Gennesaret, which has been remembered in the Gospel as the “sea.” Therefore it says: “As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers.” And from there the disciples of our Savior started out.

Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on Isaiah9.1