SCRIPTURE FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
The Baptism of the Lord This Sundays readings proclaim
Jesus' public ministry: the beginning of his role as the Servant of God. We hear God the Father proclaim to all
that Jesus is his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased. With today's readings, we celebrate the last day of the Christmas
season. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is an epiphany- a manifestation of who Jesus is to the public. In today's
Gospel, God proclaims him as his beloved Son to all who are witnesses to his Baptism.
In the first reading from Isaiah, the prophet reveals that the expected Messiah is to be a "servant." This
servant is to be a humble person, but who will also do mighty deeds. The second reading from the Book of Acts has Peter
telling his listeners that Jesus has been sent by God, that he went forth doing good works and healing the sick because "God
was with him." In the Gospel message, John the Baptist speaks with great humility that he (John) is not the one
who is to come. John states that he is not even worthy to untie Jesus' sandals. First
Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Isaiah describes the Servant of God who is to come. He will
be humble but will do great things; he will have the royal qualities of a king, a priest, and a prophet. However, he
will suffer for his people and will be put to death. He will remain faithful to the will of his Father. God (Yahweh)
will raise him up again.
We, as Christians, see the prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
It was Jesus who came down to earth in human form to establish God's justice. It was Jesus who, during his public
ministry, referred to himself as the "suffering servant" who reached out to the oppressed, the sick, the poor and
who forgave sinners. Jesus dies on the cross for the sake of mankind. Jesus is the mediator between us and God
the Father.
Our roles a Christians calls us to follow the example of Christ and to be
a light to those who live in darkness, to bring comfort to those who are sick or grieving, to be the word of encouragement
to those who are lonely or depressed. In this fast-paced age of non-stop busyness, conflict and turmoil, let us be the
Christ who brings solace and peace to burdened minds. Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38
In this passage, Peter is preaching in the house of Cornelius (a Gentile) that God shows absolutely no partiality. Salvation
is for all people. No one is excluded, Jews and Gentiles alike. Peter teaches that Jesus has been sent by God
to bring salvation to the world. God has no favorites. Peter admonishes his listeners to love the Lord, follow
his commandments and to act upright. God is inviting everyone into a relationship of love.
Peter also teaches that Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring God's peace to the oppressed and the poor.
This is a peace that only God can bestow. The presence of God the Father remained with Jesus throughout his ministry;
this is why Jesus could go about doing good, for God was with him. Peter is also teaching that to be called to faith
in God is a privilege. Being baptized into the Body of Christ demands that we accept responsibility for bringing the
Good News of Christ to others. We can't horde it for ourselves. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to work within
us so that others may know the saving power of Christ. Gospel: Mark 1:7-11
Today's Gospel message begins with John the Baptist proclaiming that he (John) is not the Messiah. In great humility,
John points to the one who is to come. "One who is mightier than I is coming after me..." In John's
time, his preaching and baptizing had aroused great inerest and he developed a following among many Jews.
Many of John's followers believed that he might be the Messiah. John gathers his followers to discourage this belief.
He tells them that he is only preparing them for the arrival of the true Messiah who is soon to come. This person was
to be much greater than him in every way. John describes himself as a mere servant of the "One who is to come."
Of all the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Mark is the one who most emphasizes Jesus'
humanity. Mark wants you to understand who Jesus is right from the start. The very first sentence of the Gospel
according to Mark starts out, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God." From the outset,
Mark declares that Jesus is divine. He is the "Son of God." Mark is teaching that Jesus is the fulfillment
of God's promise to his people.
He also makes it clear that Jesus did not come to
be an earthly king, for his kingdom is not of this world. This fact threw the people a curve, so to speak.
The people were expecting a politically powerful king, one who would once again lead them to become a great nation as they
had been under King David and King Soloman. What they didn't expect was a Messiah who would be nailed to a cross
and suffer a humiliating death. However, this is the Messiah that Mark is going to present to his listeners, and he
makes Jesus' divinity apparent from the beginning. For this reason, John the Baptist declares, "I am not worthy
to stoop down and untie the thongs of his sandals."
The baptism of Jesus was a blessing
for John the Baptist because the day of slavation had finally arrived. It was the public commissioning of Jesus.
From this point on, Jesus sets out to bring the Good News of salvation to all people. Our own baptism incorporates us
into the Body of Christ and we plunge into new life. We, too, are called to bring the Good News of salvation to others
through the power of the Holy Spirit that was given to us. We are to love one another and carry on the work of Christ
in spite of the many challenges it presents.
If we remain focused on Christ and make him
a priority in our lives, we will be better able to carry out our mission to serve others. Then, when our work on earth
is done, perhaps we too can hear the Father say to us, "You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased." -Sunday, January 11, 2009 |
