The Difference Between Departing and Leaving

January 21, 2014

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

This Sunday’s scripture lesson from Matthew 4:12-22 contains a clever bookend of verbs which, at first glance, appear to be quite similar.  But Matthew juxtaposes them in such a way that their subtle distinction conveys a critically different meaning for the Christian life. 

Now when Jesus heard that John was arrested, he went to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum.  (Matthew 4:12)

They  (James and John) were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  (Matthew 4:22)

The two instances of the verb left would appear, at least in the Common English Bible, to be the same verb.  But the original Greek terms for those words would suggest an important difference, particularly in the way Matthew uses them.

DEPARTING

The first word for left can also mean depart or withdraw.  Matthew uses it ten times in his gospel, more than the other gospel writers combined. 

• The wise men “depart” from their visit with Jesus after hearing of Herod’s plot. (2:12)
• Joseph “departs” with his family to Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod. (2:13-14)
• Jesus orders attendants to “depart” from a room after a loved one had died. (9:24) 
• Jesus “departed” from a synagogue after hearing of a plan by the Pharisees to destroy him. (12:15)
• Jesus “departed” from Gennesaret following a testy confrontation with the Pharisees (15:21)

The pattern suggests that in Matthew’s gospel, one departs as a response to some crisis or threat.  It is often a choice born of survival and self-preservation, a natural consequence when facing the troubles of the world.

LEAVING

Matthew then moves to the story of Jesus calling the first disciples, as he walks along the Sea of Galilee and finds Peter and Andrew fishing.  “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”  Then, here’s the verb:  “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.”

That Greek word for leaving is a very common one in the gospels, used widely by all four authors.  But in Matthew’s gospel, it is used as a direct antithesis to departing.  Whereas people depart from bad situations, imminent threats, and moments of crisis, people leave in order to move toward an experience that will be positive, transformative, and joyful. 

That same word for leaving occurs both when Jesus was baptized and when his temptation ended, ushering in his public ministry.  Jesus used that word when teaching the disciples how to pray, describing the way we are to forgive and be forgiven.  (In fact, the Greek word translated as “forgive” in most of our English translations is this very same word for “leave.”)  Jesus used that word when encouraging the little children to come to him, for to such as them the kingdom of heaven belongs.  And finally, when Jesus died on the cross, his spirit left him, producing the greatest moment of transformation in human history.

By juxtaposing both depart and leave in the same text, Matthew essentially sets up a dichotomy that invites the followers of Jesus to choose one of two paths: 

Will we simply live our lives departing, from one crisis to the next, falling whim and prey to whatever pains and difficulties present themselves without notice or indication? 

Or will we make a conscious choice to leave our former selves behind in order to experience the transformed life to which Jesus calls us?

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

To subscribe to this message via email, send a message to mdevega@sp-umc.org

Visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/cherokeespumc.