What a life filled with setbacks and continual difficulty. Nothing seems to go His way. And it will continue to seem as if nothing will ever go His way. And it all started while He was still in the womb.

Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, who was pledge to be her husband, was filled with doubt and confusion. "She's pregnant, but I didn't do it. What will the people think if I take her to be my wife while she's pregnant? Or, better yet, what will they think if we get married and the baby is already here?" So, he sought to divorce her quietly. How could he take Mary and the baby to be his own?

Next, after Jesus had been born, and while He was still an infant, there was a call for his life. Herod demanded the lives of all newborn males in order to keep his power and his line on the throne. So, of to Egypt does this trio venture, Joseph having overcome his doubt and confusion by a vision from God. "Out of Egypt have I called my Son," the prophet declares. Word fulfilled.

But it doesn't stop there. What happens immediately after Jesus is baptized? He is led off into the wilderness by the Spirit, and, having fasted for 40 days, He is tempted by Satan. The adversary offers Him all kinds of riches and treasures and power if He would only renounce His mission, renounce His Father, and worship Satan. "Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only," the Word declares. Satan leaves Him, and Jesus is still true to His mission and His Father. Word fulfilled.

However, maybe it was all a ruse. During the time He was in the wilderness fasting and being tempted, powers had seized His cousin. John had just baptized Jesus, now he is in prison. Setbacks and difficulty—one upon another—follow this man, Jesus. He does not have an easy life; but such is His lot in life, for it is as the prophets declare, and so the Word is fulfilled.

Trouble seems to follow Him wherever He goes. Any normal man would seclude Himself—become a recluse—remove Himself in order to keep His troubles away from those He loves. A glance at our text this morning may surprise us, for it appears He does just that: "Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali." He withdraws to the north, far away from the Jews, far away from His home of Nazareth, far away from Jerusalem and the temple.

But, just what is it about Zebulun and Naphtali? Some of us may recognize those as names of two of the tribes of Israel. These are the northern-most regions of Israel. It was choice land—beautiful landscapes, fertile soil, nice climate, the Sea of Galilee was right there—it would seem this area had a lot going for it. That was, of course, until the split. The ten northern tribes would divorce themselves from the two southern tribes; now, there were two kingdoms. Unfortunately for the northern kingdom, their neighbors were growing in political and military power. Soon, Assyria would come and conquer the northern kingdom, beginning in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. They were living in the land of the shadow of death!

These two tribes, along with the eight other northern tribes, were taken into captivity, becoming the ten lost tribes of Israel. Other people would come and populate the northern lands, many of mixed descent—Israel and Assyria—people who would become known as Samaritans, who could claim some Hebrew ancestry, but were not full-blooded Chosen People. It became a region rightly hailed by the prophet as "Galilee of the Gentiles."

This is where Jesus goes. But does He withdraw? No, in fact, He fulfills the Word of God (this is a theme in St. Matthew's Gospel), as proclaimed by Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." And despite all His setbacks and difficulty, Jesus presses on, preaching His cousin's message in that area, a light shining on the people living in darkness, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!"

And the people listen and follow! He is out expanding His kingdom, finding His people wherever they are to be found. We are told of four, specifically, that He found: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. He is out preaching repentance, teaching in synagogues, healing diseases, and restoring broken bodies as he travels from town to town. He is shining His light on Gentiles—a light of revelation to the Gentiles—the light of faith; they believe and follow.

His means seem inefficient. After all, if He is God, He could wave His arms and make believers out of the entire region, indeed, of the entire world. But, as Naaman the leper discovered, God works by a simple means: His Word. With His Word, He created the universe, and with His Word, He creates faith and eternal life in all who would believe.

Jesus is in the land of darkness bringing light. He is among half-breeds, to put it condescendingly—a people long forgotten as relatives by pure-bred Jews. He is present among them telling them that they are not forgotten. He is in the land of the shadow of death to bring light and life, not as a conqueror or mighty, earthly king, but as a gracious, soft-spoken king. He is easily missed, but He preaches repentance. Truly, this land has been the stomping grounds for blood-thirsty conquerors, and it will be again when the Romans come through once more, but for now the King of Life is among them, creating faith in all who would listen to His Word and giving them eternal life.

We could go on and on about life in the shadow of death in Zebulun and Naphtali. Those who wished to sack Jerusalem found easy access through the north—through this region. But the reality of mortality that we experience is no less real than what the Zebulunites and Naphtalites knew. We, here in the United States and around the rest of the world, also live in the land of the shadow of death. The threats to our lives are very real: tsunamis, icy roads, terrorists, murderers, heart attacks, cancer, drunk drivers...the list goes on and on.

Even in our modern, more-civilized and evolved society, death continues to strike. Yet, all too often, it is forcefully ignored or cheerfully embraced.

Denial is very dangerous. Tragedies are horrible, horrible things. Sure, we're interested in what's going on from a pity stand point, but we'd much rather accentuate the positive. We'd much rather hear about all the wonderful work being done to make things better. Maybe if we ignore the reality of the situation—that people have died—death doesn't seem so imminent. So, we ignore death.

Ironically, death is also an ally. Death by tsunamis or terrorists is a horrible thing—so society acknowledges—but society has also befriended death. January 22, 1973 marked a turning point in which death was embraced as a means of improving quality of life as the Supreme Court issued an opinion that legalized abortion. Since then, more lives have been lost to abortion than in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the tsunami of December 26, 2003...combined—over 150 times more (by current count)! And, as the indifference to the helpless life in the womb increases, so does indifference to the helpless life outside the womb as more and more places legalize or turn a blind eye toward assisted suicide and even euthanasia.

Welcome to Zebulun and Naphtali. Here we are in the land of the shadow of death.

Death is always looming, knocking at our doors. We see and read the reports of tragedies such as the tsunamis, train wrecks, and everything else that happens hundreds or thousands of miles from us and we feel pity: "poor them." But then the shadow of death makes its appearance in our own lives: the diagnosis of a terminal illness, the death of a loved one, the car accident involving a friend, the house or garage fire of the man down the street. These serve to remind us that death is an enemy that stalks us, as well. It can be discouraging, even depressing—no wonder many seek to deny it or embrace it as a kind friend: the world is full of desperate, despairing, hopeless people!

Frightening in all this is that this is only physical death we are talking about. The hordes of conquerors that visited Zebulun and Naphtali certainly ended the earthly lives of thousands of people. The tragedies that strike our day and age, without a doubt, terminated the physical lives of many more thousands of people. Yet, hear what the Word of the Lord has to say: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

The myriad of tragedies that claim the lives of many, many people and the participation in the death of countless helpless people are but symptoms of a larger problem: sin. Here are people in open defiance of God's Word stemming all the way back to Adam, through whom the whole earth (yes, even the land) was cursed! Those who continue to reject God's grace are dead in their own trespasses and sin. It only makes sense that those who are dead will seek to find in death a friend and comforter.

But despair not, O little flock, for God's Word declares an even greater comfort and solace: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Death may always seem near, but the Word of God is even more so, and He has already conquered death for you by His own death on the cross, and He has for you a life that will not end even as He has been raised from the dead!

There is no need for despair, because in this world that is darkened by sin, the Light of the World continues to come and illumine those who sit in darkness. He faithfully visits people, finding His own, be they hundreds or thousands of miles away or right in our own back yards. The Word of God spread as Jesus traveled from town to town in Zebulun and Naphtali. The Word of God was proclaimed to those sitting in darkness. Thus, it continues to be spread. Jesus gathered His disciples and told them to go and make disciples of all nations, to spread His Word. The same still happens today as disciples of Jesus tell of the Word of God, through them, light shines on those sitting in darkness. People hear the Word and follow. They come to church to be Baptized, to receive Holy Absolution, and to receive the body and blood of the Word—to be forgiven of all their sins.

And, just as it was back then, these means look ordinary and ineffective. But the Word of the Lord endures and is constant. He works through the same means, for by the same means He still creates faith and eternal life to all who would believe. Once again, He could wave His arms, flash some lightning, and, poof, make believers of the entire world. But we learn as Naaman learned that God uses His one simple means: The Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing of the Word of God—and so He is proclaimed: hope is announced as His all-availing sacrifice is proclaimed as that which saves us from our sins, and as His resurrection is heralded as that which gives us victory over death! It is as was said through the prophet Isaiah:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Word fulfilled!

So, despite the setbacks and difficulties encountered, the Word of God continues to visit His people, bringing with Him forgiveness of sins and life and salvation—the treasures He has won for us on the cross. He brings with Him hope for those living in the land of the shadow of death, hope because death is merely a shadow for those who have received the Word of God. Yes, it is dark and frightening, but for those who die in Christ, it passes and is gone, for the Word of God declares for us: "'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Yes, this is a dying world. In it, death is feared; death is befriended; death is means of improving quality of life. Yet, through it all, the Lord of Life visits His people and makes Himself known to the world. He has come that we may have life, and that we may have it to the fullest. For He has come and forgiven you of all your sins!