WONDERING GURU
Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7 or (40: 1-5, 9-11); Psalm 104: 1b-2, 3-4, 24-30
Titus 2: 11-14; 3: 4-7; Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22
Mark-simply has John
baptizing Jesus without further comment, except to say that John’s baptism was
“for the forgiveness of sin.” That must have sparked some questions. If Jesus
was sinless, what was he doing participating in a rite whose purpose was the
forgiveness of sin?
Matthew-
omits the point about forgiveness of sin. keeps it vague. He adds the dialogue
between John and Jesus about who should be baptizing whom. John says, in
effect, “I need your spirit-fire baptism. You do not need my water baptism.” Matthew
concentrates on Jesus, not the act of baptism and, once he has answered the
objection why Jesus was baptized, he moves on to the meaning of the event for
Jesus and for those who follow him. It marked the launching of his career by
clearly identifying for him and others who and whose he was and what and how he
was to do, what God sent him to do.
Luke-
is even more vague. In 3:20 he tells us the Baptist is in prison, not in the
desert. Then he says in the next verse, “After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized…” There is no mention of John’s name and Jesus’
baptism, in itself a “passive act,” is put in the passive voice!
John-By
the time John is written there is no mention at all of Jesus’ baptism.
Comment-These
variances, not contradictions, just variances, illustrate rather well how each
evangelist kept within the tradition about Jesus but dealt with it in such a
way as to highlight the point each wanted to make, or, more correctly, the
point God inspired them to make. Thus, we must derive the “literal sense,” what
the author intended to convey, before we can move on and derive from that the
“fuller sense,” what is implied in that sense, which can be applied to one’s
own present-day situation.
Reflection- So,
it has been throughout the ages: God spoke, and formed the creation out of
watery chaos; at Jesus’ baptism the heavenly voice spoke and said: “You are my
Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased;” so too God’s word speaks to us,
calls and blesses us, makes us children of God when we too are baptized. God’s
word continues to work wonders and create a new thing in each of us every
day—as we grow and mature in our faith and practice of following Jesus. God’s
word remains ever active—fulfilling promise upon promise. God’s word continues
to be free—embracing everyone, everywhere. We are called to share that word
too. Our journey in faith is to learn how to live a life of response to God’s
love. We commit ourselves to teach our children to live in response to this
love in spite of all the messages they may receive to the contrary.
God Spoke-
"This is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased".
We Speak- “O
How I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because he first
loved me.” Imagine being loved before we even breathed our first breath! We
read in Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” We
all, each of us needs to hear that inner small voice say you are my beloved son
or daughter in who, “I AM,” well pleased.
The main point of it is
to say that Jesus’ baptism is a model for understanding Christian Baptism.
Christians are baptized as a sign of entry into the kingdom of God, the eternal
realm and vision, for the simple reason that Jesus commanded it. The baptism of
Jesus really tells us less “who,” Jesus is and more “whose,” Jesus is. This is
also true of our own Baptism. The Spirit of God would equip him for his
mission, just as God’s Spirit equips us to do more-than-human things. Baptism
launches us on our mission in this world as Jesus’ baptism launched his public
ministry. As he went public about his beliefs, so do we. As he is God’s Son, so
are we his children through our identity with him. We submerge our own
interests and preferences so that his may emerge. As John would put it in John
chapter three verse thirty.” “He must increase. I must decrease.”
