Today's Message: The Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:
34-38; Matthew 3: 13-17
Today we begin a basic course on our own call to be disciples of Jesus. What does this mean? In the back of the Catholic Study Bible, the Glossary states: “Disciple a follower — The disciples of Jesus were those who followed, or tried to follow His teachings.”
Am I taking my task of being a Christian for granted? Do I realize that to be a follower, I need to have been called to this role; I just don’t fall into it? Like Mary, who said YES to being the mother of Jesus, each of us have our own YES moments. Jesus showed us this today as He came to be baptized by John. After years of waiting, preparing, learning, watching, observing, listening, and studying, the time had come for Jesus to take up His mission: to tell all of God’s total, unconditional love and to redeem each and every one from our sins and confirm that our place is heaven if we respond Yes to His call. The Yes is a continual Yes reaffirmed by dedication and observance of God’s law and Jesus’ commands of love. So we start today by asking, How am I doing … where am I lacking? Our Baptism is the first step of our saying Yes. Some of us remember making the initial decision to choose Jesus and His way and teachings. Many are reminded of our baptisms through pictures or videos. Hopefully we all know who our godparents were who said Yes in support of our parents. Whatever the situation, today’s feast enables us to say Yes again and ask for help and assistance (grace is the theological word) from the Holy Spirit to truly BE Christians, followers of Jesus, of God’s way. We now look at the readings for assistance in this.
Isaiah introduces an unnamed servant who will give the correct teaching of God’s purpose. This is the first of three other ‘Servant of the Lord’ oracles. The footnote in Catholic Study Bible states: “Many identifications have been proposed, e.g., historical Israel, ideal Israel, an Old Testament historical character before or during the lifetime of the prophet, the prophet himself. The New Testament and Christian tradition, however, have seen a fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus Christ.” Isaiah is writing to people who, because of their selfishness, pride and limited thinking, have blocked themselves from hearing what God was saying to them. They had become so attached to earthly resources for security that this deprived them of relying on God and His commandments. They felt they knew what was right for them. The servant is one chosen by God. He was different from the prophets who tried to awaken the people to God’s ways. This Servant uses a different approach: working by example and gently showing the way to the people who have been in captivity for ages. They have been blinded by their problems and ambition. They have been imprisoned because of their sins and ignorance. This Servant will not establish his reign by military force but by a loving relationship with God, thus opening up the path for God’s light and healing.
Acts shares the results of the vision that Peter had but could not understand: While at prayer on the hot roof terrace, Peter felt hungry while people were preparing a meal inside the house. Peter fell into a trance and saw a large sheet coming down from heaven which contained all sorts of animals, reptiles and birds. A voice told him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat.” Peter had never eaten anything against the Jewish dietary laws. The voice said, “What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.” This was repeated three times. In the meantime men had been sent by Cornelius, a centurion who was described as “… an upright and God-fearing man, respected by the whole Jewish nation …” came to inquire about their master becoming a Christian. Peter eventually realizes the vision had to do with God’s plan that heaven, salvation is for all peoples of all times. How restrictive am I in my thinking and beliefs? Is my God a God of all or limited by my own prejudices?
All Scripture scholars agree that Jesus’ baptism was an historical event, but they do not all agree on its meaning. Why was Jesus baptized by John? This caused the early Church embarrassment since Jesus was God’s beloved Son? John’s baptism was a Jewish ritual preparing for the endgame which John said was coming soon … our first doom-and-gloom speaker. Jesus says He is not asking for baptism from John because He is a sinner, but He is placing Himself in solidarity with the sinners He will save: You and me. So Jesus’ Baptism confirms that He is God’s plan for the world for salvation. God the Father is saying YES, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
We can certainly see in Jesus’s insistence for baptism a desire to be identified with each one of us. He has come to save everyone, and in the very next scene, “Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” This is a plain indication that Jesus’ kingdom is not one of power and domination as was an earthy king or potentate. His life showed repeatedly that His teaching according to God’s plan is rooted in love of God and love of neighbor. We can see this in God the Father’s response as Jesus came out of the waters. Matthew likes to tell his Jewish audience that some prophecies hint to Jesus: Isaiah 42:2, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit;" Psalm 2:7, “I will proclaim the decree of the Lord, who said to Me, ‘You are my son; today I am your Father;’” Genesis 2:2, “Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work He had been doing, He rested on the seventh day from all the work He had undertaken.”
Today’s feast of the Lord’s baptism reminds us of what our Baptism intends to do for us: identifying us as Christians. We are now holy people, members of Christ’s body, new creations, clothed in Christ, children of the light, and children of God. Nice words … this means we are called to live in the way Jesus taught us. Jesus summed this up best in the law of loving God and neighbor. Shortly after his elevation, Pope Francis encouraged us: “Being Christian is not just obeying orders but means being in Christ, thinking like Him, acting like Him, loving like Him; it means letting Him take possession our life and change it, transform it, and free it from the darkness of evil and sin.”
Today we begin a basic course on our own call to be disciples of Jesus. What does this mean? In the back of the Catholic Study Bible, the Glossary states: “Disciple a follower — The disciples of Jesus were those who followed, or tried to follow His teachings.”
Am I taking my task of being a Christian for granted? Do I realize that to be a follower, I need to have been called to this role; I just don’t fall into it? Like Mary, who said YES to being the mother of Jesus, each of us have our own YES moments. Jesus showed us this today as He came to be baptized by John. After years of waiting, preparing, learning, watching, observing, listening, and studying, the time had come for Jesus to take up His mission: to tell all of God’s total, unconditional love and to redeem each and every one from our sins and confirm that our place is heaven if we respond Yes to His call. The Yes is a continual Yes reaffirmed by dedication and observance of God’s law and Jesus’ commands of love. So we start today by asking, How am I doing … where am I lacking? Our Baptism is the first step of our saying Yes. Some of us remember making the initial decision to choose Jesus and His way and teachings. Many are reminded of our baptisms through pictures or videos. Hopefully we all know who our godparents were who said Yes in support of our parents. Whatever the situation, today’s feast enables us to say Yes again and ask for help and assistance (grace is the theological word) from the Holy Spirit to truly BE Christians, followers of Jesus, of God’s way. We now look at the readings for assistance in this.
Isaiah introduces an unnamed servant who will give the correct teaching of God’s purpose. This is the first of three other ‘Servant of the Lord’ oracles. The footnote in Catholic Study Bible states: “Many identifications have been proposed, e.g., historical Israel, ideal Israel, an Old Testament historical character before or during the lifetime of the prophet, the prophet himself. The New Testament and Christian tradition, however, have seen a fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus Christ.” Isaiah is writing to people who, because of their selfishness, pride and limited thinking, have blocked themselves from hearing what God was saying to them. They had become so attached to earthly resources for security that this deprived them of relying on God and His commandments. They felt they knew what was right for them. The servant is one chosen by God. He was different from the prophets who tried to awaken the people to God’s ways. This Servant uses a different approach: working by example and gently showing the way to the people who have been in captivity for ages. They have been blinded by their problems and ambition. They have been imprisoned because of their sins and ignorance. This Servant will not establish his reign by military force but by a loving relationship with God, thus opening up the path for God’s light and healing.
Acts shares the results of the vision that Peter had but could not understand: While at prayer on the hot roof terrace, Peter felt hungry while people were preparing a meal inside the house. Peter fell into a trance and saw a large sheet coming down from heaven which contained all sorts of animals, reptiles and birds. A voice told him, “Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat.” Peter had never eaten anything against the Jewish dietary laws. The voice said, “What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.” This was repeated three times. In the meantime men had been sent by Cornelius, a centurion who was described as “… an upright and God-fearing man, respected by the whole Jewish nation …” came to inquire about their master becoming a Christian. Peter eventually realizes the vision had to do with God’s plan that heaven, salvation is for all peoples of all times. How restrictive am I in my thinking and beliefs? Is my God a God of all or limited by my own prejudices?
All Scripture scholars agree that Jesus’ baptism was an historical event, but they do not all agree on its meaning. Why was Jesus baptized by John? This caused the early Church embarrassment since Jesus was God’s beloved Son? John’s baptism was a Jewish ritual preparing for the endgame which John said was coming soon … our first doom-and-gloom speaker. Jesus says He is not asking for baptism from John because He is a sinner, but He is placing Himself in solidarity with the sinners He will save: You and me. So Jesus’ Baptism confirms that He is God’s plan for the world for salvation. God the Father is saying YES, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
We can certainly see in Jesus’s insistence for baptism a desire to be identified with each one of us. He has come to save everyone, and in the very next scene, “Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” This is a plain indication that Jesus’ kingdom is not one of power and domination as was an earthy king or potentate. His life showed repeatedly that His teaching according to God’s plan is rooted in love of God and love of neighbor. We can see this in God the Father’s response as Jesus came out of the waters. Matthew likes to tell his Jewish audience that some prophecies hint to Jesus: Isaiah 42:2, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit;" Psalm 2:7, “I will proclaim the decree of the Lord, who said to Me, ‘You are my son; today I am your Father;’” Genesis 2:2, “Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work He had been doing, He rested on the seventh day from all the work He had undertaken.”
Today’s feast of the Lord’s baptism reminds us of what our Baptism intends to do for us: identifying us as Christians. We are now holy people, members of Christ’s body, new creations, clothed in Christ, children of the light, and children of God. Nice words … this means we are called to live in the way Jesus taught us. Jesus summed this up best in the law of loving God and neighbor. Shortly after his elevation, Pope Francis encouraged us: “Being Christian is not just obeying orders but means being in Christ, thinking like Him, acting like Him, loving like Him; it means letting Him take possession our life and change it, transform it, and free it from the darkness of evil and sin.”
So I reflect on:
- Do I have a willingness to change and conform my life to Jesus’ laws of love?
- As with apprentices in any trade I have to listen to the instructions of the Master and try to put them into practice. Do I do this?
- Do I recognize my mistakes and accept correction?
- Am I so familiar with the text of the Gospels that its message takes root in my heart and thereby produces fruit in my life?
- Am I both a hearer of the Word of God and doer of the Word of God?
Sacred Space 2020 states:
“This is one of the three times that the Father speaks to us in the Gospel story. Here it is to acknowledge that Jesus is His beloved, the one He loves with a passion. During the first millennium this came to be the way Christians saw themselves, especially as they realized that meaning of Jesus’ words, ‘As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9)
If you would like to ponder this prayerfully, quiet yourself for a short while by relaxing your body. Then listen to the Father call you His beloved a few times, and when you have savored His words, tell Him how you feel about this.
“This is one of the three times that the Father speaks to us in the Gospel story. Here it is to acknowledge that Jesus is His beloved, the one He loves with a passion. During the first millennium this came to be the way Christians saw themselves, especially as they realized that meaning of Jesus’ words, ‘As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:9)
If you would like to ponder this prayerfully, quiet yourself for a short while by relaxing your body. Then listen to the Father call you His beloved a few times, and when you have savored His words, tell Him how you feel about this.
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