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BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

 

HE WANTED TO RISE FROM THE ABYSS

 

Introduction

       The biblical sites are often tied to a theological significance. The sea, the mountain, the desert, the Galilee of the Gentiles, Samaria, the Jordan River, the land beyond the lake of Genezareth are much more than simple geographical indications (often not entirely accurate).

       Luke does not specify the place where the baptism of Jesus took place, but John alludes to it: “It happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing” (Jn 1:28). The tradition has correctly located the episode in Bethabara, the ford where the people of Israel, guided by Joshua, crossed the river and entered the Promised Land.

       The gestures of Jesus present explicit references to the passage from slavery to freedom and to the beginning of a new exodus to the true Promised Land. Bethabara has also another recall, less obvious, but equally significant: the geologists ensure that this is the lowest point on earth (400 meters below sea level).

       The decision to start from there the public life cannot be random. Jesus came from the heights of heaven to free people. He went down into a deeper abyss to show that he desires the salvation of every person. He wants to save even the most derelict, the one dragged by guilt and sin into an abyss no one imagines the possibility of getting out. God does not forget and does not abandon any of his children.

To internalize the message, we repeat:

“And the grace of God appears, bringing salvation to all people”

First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11

We are in Babylon; more than fifty years have already passed since Jerusalem was destroyed and since the sad period of exile began. The discouraged Israelites live in a foreign land. The passage that closes the book of Deutero-Isaiah is proposed to us today. It is a hymn to the life-giving effectiveness of the Word of God. To understand and enjoy it, it is necessary to place it in the historical context in which it was composed. We are in the second half of the 4th century B.C. The Israelites had been in Babylon for many years. With a growing insistence, they ask themselves this question: will we be able to return and see our land one day?

One day they hear the prophet’s voice resounding. He announces the imminent fall of the Babylonian empire, the liberation and the return to the homeland. This new condition is likened to a banquet in which there will be plenty of food and drink. To participate one won’t need to spend money. It will be enough to hunger and thirst (v. 1).

The prophet, however, is aware that the majority of the exiles has neither hunger nor thirst. They are now settled in Babylon, good or bad, they have adapted themselves to the situation; they, in fact, do not think of building a new life in the country of origin. They prefer to stay where they are and if they put aside some savings, they invest to buy houses and fields for themselves in Mesopotamia; they are unwilling to take risks, to embark on adventures that can be tricky. In short, they are not interested in “the banquet”; they refuse the invitation.

It took some time before Israel sensed the true meaning of the Lord’s promises. They should not be interpreted physically; they would be realized, but not in the immediate future. The banquet was the symbol of salvation offered by God to all mankind.

The condition in which the deported found themselves in Babylon is an image of all slavery in which every man is struggling. The temptation to spend money for that which does not satisfy, the distrust of one who invites to the banquet and promises true joy, the fear to undertake the journey toward the land of freedom are always the same and recur continually.

God does not confront the evidence nor give convincing proofs but calls for unconditional trust in what he promises. Only he who has already set foot in the banquet hall of the kingdom of heaven may testify that he had found the table spread. His joy can become contagious and convinces even the wariest to enter.

They learned in the catechism that God is just: He rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For this, they are certain that the Lord will punish the enemies of his people. Israel has only to wait and she will see that one day the Lord will not leave the wicked unpunished.

Some years pass but nothing happens and the delay increases the disappointment and despair. How come—we wonder—the Word of God is not realized? Does he, too, like the people, not keep anymore his promises?

The prophet responds to this doubt with an image. The Word of God is like the rain and snow. They fall from the sky and do not return there without having produced what they were intended. They possess an irresistible dynamism, an energy that is fruitful and makes the grain sprout, the grass green and the flowers bloom. The Word sent from heaven never returns to God “empty-handed.” It always brings with it some fruit. The results, of course, depend also on the land where it falls but where it goes, nothing stays the same.

The image of rain and snow and the reference to the cycle of the seasons and the slow growth of the seed is an invitation not to expect immediate results. The Word of God often acts in a long time because it has to deal with the reactions, choices, decisions, and even with the hardening, stubbornness of persons. It takes patience, ability to wait, foresight, combined with the unwavering confidence in the life-giving power of the Word.

The Israelites deported to Babylon were able to wait. They maintained firm the belief that “upright is the Lord’s Word and worthy of trust is his work” (Ps 33:4). After a few years, a first group was able to leave Mesopotamia and to return to the land of their fathers.

Anyone who trusts the Word of the Lord will one day verify the prodigious effects.

 

Second Reading: 1 John 5:1-9

St. Jerome tells that John, by then old, invited to speak at the Eucharistic assembly, kept repeating the same exhortation: “My little children, love one another,” and when asked to teach something new, he replied: “It is the Lord’s command; there is no other and that is enough.”

Love of the brother—of the sister—is the theme of this letter that will accompany us. It was written towards the end of the first century A.D., at a time of crisis. In the Christian communities theological ideas incompatible with faith had spread: there were those who denied that Jesus was the Christ and those who maintained that the Son of God was not really incarnated, but had only assumed a human appearance; there were those who cultivated contempt for the matter in favor of a misguided exaltation of the spirit; especially those who had neglected the practice of charity, believing that to be saved, knowledge of the truth is enough.

From the beginning of his letter, John recalls the reality of the incarnation of the Son of God: “What we have heard and have seen with our own eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, I mean the Word who is Life. So we tell you what we have seen and heard, that you may be in fellowship with us… that our joy may be complete” (1 Jn 1:1-4). He introduces the same realism in the moral field: “My dear children, let us love not only in words and with our lips, but in truth and in deed” (1 Jn 3:18).

The message of the entire letter could be summed up in the phrase: “My dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God” (1 Jn 4:7).

The passage seems directed to today’s Christians who have been baptized and that, through faith, have become children of God. After affirming that he who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, John deduces immediately the consequence of this new life: he who loves Him from which he was generated, must also love those who were generated by Him, that is, the brethren (v. 1).

There is no other solid foundation on which to build a new humanity. If we are children of one Father, no matter what race we belong to, what religion we practice or the culture in which we were born and grew up, we are all loved by God and we are called to effuse love received from the Father on the brothers and sisters. Those who are not interested in people do not love God, and true religion cannot be separated from the practice of love.

In the last part of the reading (vv. 5-8) two quite enigmatic images appear. Persistently it states that Jesus “came by water and blood.”

The possible meanings of this expression are varied, but the most obvious is the reference to the pierced side. In the Gospel, John records that after the bloody death of Jesus, “one of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water” (Jn 19:34).

Water and blood in the Bible indicate life. This is the life that Jesus came to bring on earth and has given to humanity on the cross. His “spirit of life” (Rev 11:11) is the Spirit, the Spirit that today he continues to offer through the two sacraments evoked by water and blood: baptism and the Eucharist.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:7-11

             We have already meditated on the Second Sunday of Advent the first verses of this passage (vv. 7-8).They have, in short, the difference between the baptism of John and that of Jesus. The two rituals are apparently the same but completely different in meaning. The first is an external ablution. It indicates the cleansing from sin, the breaking up with a way of life contrary to God's law. It presupposes the decision not to stain oneself with other transgressions. The second, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, is not an exteriorcleansing, but a miracle worked by the Lord in a person. It is the infusion of a gushing water, bearer of fertilityand life. It is the replacement of the old heart with a new heart, able to answer “yes” to the proposal of lovemade by God. The baptism of John was the end of a long and troubled engagement that of Jesus was the beginning of the wedding feast.

             After disclosing the distinct values of the two baptisms, Mark, unlike Matthew and Luke, makes no mention of the childhood of Jesus. For the first time, he depicts the protagonist of his Gospel and does so witha solemn formula, often used by the prophets in their oracles: "In those days ..." (Joel 3:2); then he records the name of the village from where he comes, Nazareth in Galilee (v. 9).

            He does not say how old he was or to what family he belonged. He is interested only to indicate how, when and where the manifestation the Gospel of God in the world began. It all started at the Jordan, a river that flows peacefully in the plains of Jericho, scoring the boundary between the eastern desert and the Promised Land, where Joshua brought the people out of Egypt. There, all the inhabitants of Judea flocked to be baptized (Mk 1:5-6). One day, Jesus also appeared among the sinners. He came from Galilee, the region inhabited by Israelites believed to be semi pagans by the religious aristocracy of Jerusalem. He went downinto the water along with the sinners to show his desire to share their condition. He was beside them accompanying them in their exodus from slavery to freedom.

            In this scene, the novelty of the Christian God can be already understood. He is not a distant God, inthe sky, who gives instructions and control, who observes who violates them. He becomes one of us, in solidarity with humanity not in sin but in bearing its consequences that always involve, as we all know, also one who did not sin.

            We are attached to evil. However, in our prayer rather than asking the Lord to let us avoid it, we implore that he saves us with some miraculous intervention from its tragic consequences: disease, hunger, misery, anguish, family disagreements, wars ... God, who is not resigned to palliative solutions, sent his son to destroy the evil at its roots and create a new world without sin, a world in which all his promises will be fulfilled. "May our barns be full, with every kind of provision" (Ps 144:13), "may grain abound throughout the land" (Ps 72:16), "the lowly will eat and be satisfied" (Ps 22:27), “the humble will inherit the land and enjoy peace in abundance" (Ps 37:11). These are not images, but concrete realities that can be actually seen if one trustsChrist and his word.

            All the evangelists give importance to the baptism of Jesus because it marked the beginning of hispublic life. But it is not the incident itself that they want to attract attention to, as the revelation of the sky. In thisevent, one can capture it. The Synoptic Gospels present it to us with three images well understood by their readers: the opening of the heavens, the dove, and the voice from heaven (vv. 10-11).

            In Matthew and Luke, it seems that all those present have contemplated the heavens opened wide; they have seen the Spirit descending as a dove, and they have heard the voice from heaven. In Mark, however, Jesus is the only recipient of the vision and revelation: "He came out of the water… and he saw…"(v. 10). It was the moment of his vocation, one in which the Father has manifested the mission for which he called him.

            First of all, He saw the heavens opened.

            The picture is now clear for one who knows the Scriptures: the evangelist refers to a famous text from the prophet Isaiah.

            In the last centuries before Christ, the people of Israel had the feeling that the sky was closed.Outraged by the sins and unfaithfulness of his people, God had withdrawn into his world. He had stopped sending prophets and seemed to have broken all dialogue with people. The pious Israelites were wondering: when will this distressing silence end? Will the Lord not speak to us again? Will he no longer show his serene face, as in ancient times? They called upon him: "O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are our potter; we are the work of your hands. Do not let your anger go too far or think of our sins forever; do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down" (Is 64:7-8; 63:19).

             In the baptism of Jesus, the heavens are rent. The rapport between God and man was forever restored. The borders fell and all the fears of God’s punishment are over. Now it is clear how absurd the fearsof those who still imagine him angry, vengeful, and violent. There’s no more need to be anxious to placate him because he does not reject anyone, does not act as a judge, but he is always on the side of people.

            The second object of the "vision" is the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove.

            When God assigns someone to a great mission, he always gives him also the strength to carry it out.He infused his spirit on the kings, prophets, judges. The moment he sends his "faithful servant," he says: "I have put my spirit upon him, and he will bring forth justice to the nations ... A broken reed he will not crush, nor will he snuff out the light of the wavering wick" (Is 42:1-3). The sent "servant" becomes conscious of the power of God entering him, says: "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearts,… freedom to those languishing in prison"(Is 61:1).

            At the beginning of his public life, Jesus also was filled with the power of the Spirit.

            To help us understand the theological message present in this event, the evangelist uses the image ofa dove.

            There are many biblical references related to this figure. The first could be the creation, at the time when "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Gen 1:2), as a dove on her nest, some rabbisexplained.

            The primordial ocean, symbol of chaos and hostile elements, was then dominated by the "divine wind" and on earth, life sprang forth. Alighting on Jesus, the Spirit of God came into the world and, with its presence, initiates the new creation.

            The second, most immediate recall is the dove of the deluge, let out by Noah in the ark. It returned in the evening with an olive branch (Gen 8:8-12). That was the sign of restored peace between the heavens and theearth, after the destruction of all forms of sin.

            For centuries, since the sky closed itself, the spirit of the Lord seemed not to find a place on which to set itself. Like the dove of the deluge, it crossed the sky only to return later to God. Now it descends on Jesus,making his permanent dwelling in him. He is the force that will let him bring to completion the work of salvation. The dove also recalls tenderness and love. Moved by the Spirit, Jesus will always draw himself closer to sinnerswith the gentleness and kindness of the dove.

            Finally, a voice from heaven was heard. The expression is well known: the rabbis employed it to attribute a statement to God. In our passage, it is intended to define, in the name of the Lord, Jesus' identity.

            Mark wrote after Easter. He must respond to the questions that the disciples ask. Their Master was condemned as a blasphemer by the guarantors of the purity of Israel’s faith. He is apparently a loser, an outcastand abandoned by the Lord.

            The troubling question is: has God shared this judgment?

            To the Christians of his community, Mark refers to the Lord's judgment with a      phrase that alludes to three texts of the Old Testament.

            You are my son: the quote is from Ps 2:7. The royal coronation day constituted, for the Davidic king who reigns in Jerusalem, a new birth. It was the moment in which God declared him his son. He conferred on him, his power and his strength. He presented him as his lieutenant to the world. 

            Jesus’ investiture by the Father took place in the Jordan. There, he was shown to all as the savior, as the human face of God who exists from all eternity. "To what angel did God say—asks the author of the Letter to the Hebrews—You are my son; I have begotten you today? And to what angel did he promise: I shall be a father, and he shall be a son to me?" (Heb 1:5). On the day of his baptism, the Son who, from all eternity, exists "is with the Father" (Jn 1:18); he is "born" as the Messiah.

            In the Semitic culture, the word child does not mean only the biological generation. It also implies the affirmation of a similarity. Addressing Jesus as his son, God guarantees to identify with him, in his words, in his works, and especially in his supreme act of love, the gift of life. Those who want to know the Father have only tocontemplate this son.

            It is significant that God recognizes him as his son at the very moment when Jesus places himself at the side of sinners. His is the only authentic face of the Father. The other faces, above all, that of the judge who sentences, are only the masks that people have applied to him.

            The beloved. It refers to the account of the test Abraham underwent. He was asked to offer his son Isaac, the only one, the beloved (Gen 22:2,12,16). By applying this title to Jesus, God invites us not to consider him a king or a prophet like the others. He is, like Isaac, the only one, the beloved.

            In whom I am well pleased. We already know this expression because it is in the first verse of today's Reading (Is 42:1). God declares that Jesus is the servant the prophet spoke about. He is the one sent to "establish law and justice" in the world. To fulfill this mission he will offer his life.

            The voice from heaven reverses the judgment made by people and denies the Messianic expectations of the people of Israel who could not conceive of a humiliated, beaten and executed Messiah. The way God has fulfilled his promises was for everyone, including the Baptist, a surprise.

 

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